Monday, November 28, 2022

How My Reading Has Changed Since Becoming A Mom

It's hard to believe, but Henry is turning ONE today!  This past year has been a blur, filled with trying times but so many more joyful moments of smiles, laughs, hugs, and new achievements.  Of course, I knew our life would change once we became parents (and it has, in so many ways), but since this is a book blog, let's talk about how my reading has changed since becoming a mom!  I think most of these are fairly obvious, but that's ok!

  1. I'm reading less.  I think this is a given - babies take up a lot of your time, so most of my reading comes after Henry goes to bed.  And since my bedtime has also gotten earlier, this doesn't leave a ton of time each day for reading.  But honestly, I'm reading more than I thought I would!  I expected maybe a book a week, and I'm probably around two a week, most weeks.  
  2. I ADORE children's books.  I've always enjoyed buying books for my nieces and nephews, but now that I'm paying even more attention to them, I've found I really love children's books - the charming text and rhymes, the simple but important messages, the cute illustrations.  It is such a joy to read with Henry every day because even if he doesn't totally understand what we're doing all the time, I love it and I hope that's coming across to him.  And as much as I love books, I never really thought I'd be the mom doing all the voices and making all the animal sounds, but here we are!
  3. Henry's TBR is just as important as mine.  I'm constantly on the lookout for new books for him, whether they are new or old, and I've created a wishlist for him on our library's website.  I choose a theme or two each month for our reading, and at the beginning of the month I peruse our wishlist, check out several books from the library, and pick a few from his shelf.  He loves touch-and-feel and lift-a-flap books, so I always try to make sure those are mixed in.  We reread each book many times during the month, but I also want to keep things new and exciting for him.
  4. My identity as a reader is expanding.  At the daycare, I'm known as Henry's mom, but also the "reading mom," and Henry is the infant room's "little bookworm."  Whenever something about books or literacy comes up at school, they often show a picture of him, with his little books, and I love that!  He proves that you're never too young to enjoy books.  The director and I chat about books quite often, sending each other recommendations for Henry and the other kids.  Although I would never want to force a hobby on my child, I know how important it is to expose him to all types of books, and so my identity as a reader has expanded from a solo activity to also being somewhat of an advocate for children's literacy.
  5. I'm planning for the future.  My hope is that as Henry gets older, we will continue to enjoy reading together (and maybe that will include less chewing on books).  Several of the books on his TBR are meant for older children, so that's a start!  My sister is inspiring me in this area, too - her daughter Luna is 6 and loves to read, and Michele is reading and compiling a library of books for Luna to read when she's older, mostly YA books she thinks she'll enjoy.


Fellow parents - how have your kids impacted your reading?  Or if you don't have kids, what big events in your life have changed your reading habits?
 

26 comments:

  1. Awww, Happy First Birthday, Henry! I read a lot of children's books with my son up through middle school but then he unfortunately decided reading wasn't really for him aside from required school readings. I still look for books I think might engage him though and am so excited every time I find one that works.

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    1. He loves flipping through the pages and pointing at things, so I'm hoping he keeps this curiousity!

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  2. Happy birthday Henry! Baby Brooklyn came into my life in 2019, two months before I started a new job, so it's hard to tell if Brooklyn or the job destroyed my reading life. :) I read about half as many books as I used to. I think I've only finished 53 "grown up" books so far this year. I don't mind. I'm having adventures and learning things, so books can go on the back burner for a while.

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  3. A very happy birthday to little Henry! I loved this post. And, yes, reading when you have little ones is different, but glad to hear that you are reading for you and also reading for and with Henry. My 'little one' is all grown up, of course, and she is not the reader that I am, but she does enjoy audiobooks and some books in print. She loved being read to as a little one and even as a middle schooler. My reading continued with maybe not as many books when she was younger, but kids will grow up. Ha!

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    1. Thank you, Kay! Yes, I'm finding ways to fit in my reading, even if it means sacrificing other hobbies for a bit. But, my sister tells me it will just keep getting better!

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  4. Happy birthday, Henry! I love that you are fostering a love of reading in him even now. So much so that even his daycare knows he is already a bookworm! :)

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  5. Happy birthday, Henry! I love that you incorporate reading already so much. My parents didn't really do it that much but I imagine there are so many more and better books for little kids now. I also always enjoy your posts of Henry's shelves. So cute!

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    1. I read a lot as a kid, and I know my parents introduced a lot of books to us, but as we got older, it was more us seeking out the books. My mom isn't a reader, but she never discouraged us!

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  6. I love that someone that young already has a reputation as a reader. Fantastic! I hope Henry had an amazing birthday

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  7. Wow- happy birthday! It goes by so amazingly fast, right? I love that last pic, with him surrounded by books. :) And children's books are great. It's neat that we're able to reconnect with them though our kids. I still have a fondness for Goodnight Moon ha ha!

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    1. Haha, we've read Goodnight Moon many times! The kids books today are so different and varied, it's fun to read them!

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  8. So sweet. Love that Henry is growing up with books as part of his learning. :) And that you still find good reading time, too! Happy first birthday to Henry!!

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  9. Aww happy first birthday to Henry! This is such a lovely post. So fun that he's already known as a little bookworm at daycare :)

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  10. Happy birthday little man! Between your mom and your aunt, we will always have you covered with good books!

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  11. He is too adorable! Since becoming an aunt, I've been looking and thinking more about kid's books -- and as they grow, my interest shifts with their age groups. There's so much good diverse stuff out there now, I actually think they might find a book one day where they will be able to see themselves within its pages.

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    1. Absolutely! I love seeing all these topics in kids books that I don't ever remember seeing when I was a kid.

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  12. Happy Birthday to Henry! I can't believe he is already one. Time flies! Reading definitely changes as you become a mom, but it gets better and better. Each night I read to one of my sons before bed and my oldest son and I just finished the Harry Potter series. It was pure magic reading it again and sharing it with him. He wasn't the biggest independent reader until this year (4th grade) and now has books on his Xmas list (much to my surprise!) -- so keep at it! I think exposing your son to books at a young age is key! Having them all over the house and easily accessible helps. I even have books in the car--a great thing to look at on long trips! It seems like you already do all this, so great job raising a future reader and enjoy those adorable picture books!

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    1. Thank you so much, Christina! I love the picture books, but I am also looking forward to the chapter books to come! I can only imagine how amazing reading the Harry Potter series will be! That's awesome that your son is asking for books, too!

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  13. Even if he doesn't always know what's going on, it's bonding time, and he's probably going to grow up with really good memories and feelings toward books! I don't read a lot of children's books, but I've read a couple in the past few years, and they can be great!

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I'm so glad you stopped by, and I would love to hear your thoughts! Comments are always greatly appreciated!