Reading While Watching Kids

I like to read a lot. In fact, I’ve had to set goals for myself to read less as I wasn’t getting other things done that I wanted to do. As a parent, that can have negative effects if you’re not careful with setting your priorities on your kids and family first.

As someone who reads a lot, I’m constantly looking for the best times to read. There are generally more opportunities than you might expect, but only if you’re really looking for them. One of the best times to read is when you’ve got your kids engaged in another activity where they can take care of themselves.

For example, getting your kids playing with toys is a great way for you to find a few minutes to read. You’re likely not going to get hours of reading in this way, but it may be a chance to get through 15 minutes of your favorite novel, or a book that you just don’t want to put down at the moment.

The key to this is that you’ve got your kids doing something safe - you shouldn’t have them running around on the concrete while trying to read - if your kids are older and can take care of themselves, that may be fine. However, with younger kids, you want them doing something that is relatively safe as your full attention won’t be on them while you’re reading.

There is nothing wrong with putting your attention towards reading, as long as you’re not being neglectful of your kids. For example, if your kids are screaming in pain because they hit themselves with a toy (or their sibling did), then you’re going to need to address the issue. However, if they’re just asking you to play with them then it’s perfectly okay to tell them that you’re trying to relax and read, and that you’ll come to play in a few minutes. There’s no reason that you can’t enjoy a few minutes to yourself while your child learns to play by themselves.

If you’ve never done this before - taking time to yourself while watching your child - then it is going to take a bit of work. Your child is likely used to you always being available. Showing your child that it’s okay to do things alone, and especially for one of those things to be reading is a great lesson for your child.

Reading in front of your child, even to yourself, is a great example to them that reading is important. Teaching your kids to read can often be difficult. Doing it without reading in front of them (and to them) is even tougher. Don’t be afraid to pull a book out and read it while they’re close by.

Your child will learn to play alone if you let them. You can learn to use that time to read, if you desire. It can be a win for everyone involved.