My week away serving as a leader at a girls camp also helped refresh my mind immensely. I had five wonderful days in the lovely woods of western Washington spent in the company of great girls and great friends, with a surprising amount of free time that I used for reading and knitting.
The reading especially recharged me and I realized that though I've always loved reading, I haven't always considered it a priority or even a productive use of time and I needed to get over that. I'm a person that likes to really be doing something most of the time and I have often felt a little guilty "just reading."
This year I set a goal to read at least one book a week and I've been loving that goal but still feeling guilty about so much reading time. So I usually "read" by listening to audiobooks while working around the house, or snatch chunks of time reading while eating or brushing my teeth or in the car if someone else is driving. Getting to sit around a campfire or under the trees and just read for long periods of time felt so luxurious.
my littlest reader had to be pulled away from all the great books on our recent visit to The King's English bookstore in Salt Lake City
Now that I'm back at home and trying to balance time with my kids and all the house projects I need to do (and get ready to leave town again soon!), I miss all that time I just sat and read at camp. But I've been giving myself permission to just enjoy a good book for a block of time each day and set aside the chores.
And I've noticed my kids reading a lot more this summer than they have in past summers. Of course, that may have a lot to do with our new family rule of no screen time (Wii, tv or computer) unless they read at least 30 minutes a day. Some days my youngest squawks about the rule, but I notice I still find her reading unprompted for a lot more than 30 minutes most days.
What about you? Do you consider it a priority to read each day? Is it hard to squeeze it in especially if you have your kids at home all day long now that it's summer?
Hi! I'm Leslie. Mom to three fun kids and two fluffy kittens. Chocolate and caramel aficionado. Occasional domestic goddess. Resident of the sunny, sagebrush side of Washington state. Book reader extraordinaire. Middle grade and young adult writer in training, one word at a time. That's me. Thanks for visiting and let me know what you think in the comments.
Before I began blogging, I hadn't read a book in a ridiculously long time. When I was younger, I was always reading, but as I grew up, I stopped making as much time for it. This year, I set myself a goal to read 50 books in a year, and I've read 30 already lol! I think it is so important to work reading into your day. It's really helped to improve my writing. :D
ReplyDeleteI love your idea of reading for TV/Wii/Computer time. (My kids are going to hate me :) ) I don't set a goal to read every day. It wouldn't be feasible. I always have a pile of books on my nightstand, and if all kids are in bed, my husband's doing whatever he does, and i'm not to tired, I can read. I also keep a book in the car because Mama taxi does have to sit and wait sometimes. And if I'm really into a book, I do read while the kids play - I'm allowed to take breaks too :)
ReplyDeleteI have a goal of 50 this year too and it's helping. I feel so guilty reading, I don't know why. I don't think ill of others for doing it. It's just pure fun for me, ya know. BTW, your daughter is adorable.
ReplyDeleteWell Leslie, I would say you sound completely human:) I can't tell you how many of blog posts were guilt induced slumps.
ReplyDeleteI love your idea of doing books on tape while you do house work. That is something I will have to try!
I'm glad you're feeling better:)
Summer is hard... but we're coping! LOL. We also limit the electronics or else it gets out of control... crazy how different my childhood was compared to present day!
ReplyDeleteIf I come across a book I can't put down, then it can consume my life and everything else gets pushed aside. I try to keep my reading to late night, though - after most of the house has gone to bed. I just finished THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN - a new mid grade novel that was a quick and lovely read.
ReplyDeleteI do read every day. Does blogging count? But yes, I do try to read a little fiction every day. A chapter or two. :)
ReplyDeleteP.S. Actually, using WP as an offensive weapon against military targets is against the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Convention on Certain Chemical Weapons, not the Geneva Conventions per se - although the GC DO ban the use of incendiary weapons in civilian areas or against civilian targets. But this just a 'the more you know' quibble which I only know because I just wrote an article on war crimes in videogames.
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