Reading At the Park

Finding time to do things that you enjoy while also taking care of your parental responsibilities is extremely difficult. There will be days and weeks where you will simply feel that you do not have time to do anything that you want as you are either taking care of your child or taking care of responsibilities at home. However, making time to do the things that you enjoy is important to keep your sanity.

Reading is a great hobby for anyone, and it’s one of the best ways to relax and keep your mind engaged. We’ve written many times about the benefits of reading and why you should do it. At this point, you shouldn’t be asking yourself why you should read, but rather how can you make time to read. As you read more, you’ll find that you want to keep reading. Over time, you’ll find that reading is really enjoyable.

Of course, finding the time to read, as any other hobby, is really difficult to do as a parent. To read, you’re going to need to have a few minutes of uninterrupted time where you can get into a book. Furthermore, you’ll likely want to have more time than that to really get into it. Uninterrupted time is a commodity that most parents don’t have much of at home when they’re with their child.

Fortunately, there’s this place that kids love to run around, stretch their legs, and play hard that is likely within a few minutes of where you live. The playground is one of the best places to let your child have some active time as well as being able to interact with other kids. When you only have one child, the park is a great way to let them learn to get along with other kids in a friendly environment.

Many parents seem to think that they have to hang around and be right on top of their child while at the playground. Of course, if your child is at risk of falling off the playground equipment then you should stay close by. But once your child is comfortable on their own feet and understands that they need to stay away from the edges, then there’s no reason that you should be right on top of them.

Most other kids will not want to play with your child if you’re standing right next to them. Sure, there are some kids that are fearless and will play with your child no matter what, but most kids will simply avoid interacting with you and your child. Let your child play on the playground equipment by themselves so that they have the chance to play with other children - you might be surprised what friends they make.

As you become more comfortable with your child at the playground, and as they become older and more able to know what they’re doing, you’ll find that you have a perfect opportunity to do some reading. Rather than sitting and looking at your phone at the playground, pull out your book and do some reading. We always carry our Kindle with us, so we always have something to read close by, but make sure you bring your book with you when heading to the playground.

Reading at the park is a perfect way to get your child exercise while you get to do something that you enjoy. Head to the playground to enjoy the benefits.