How to find the time to read to your baby

Reading to your baby will probably be the last thing on your mind during the initial weeks and months after she’s born. Despite best intentions, you simply may not have the energy or be able to make the time to read with your baby.
Does this scene seem familiar? Your house is a mess. You can’t find two shoes from the same pair, leave alone your favorite pair. The Diaper Genie needs to be emptied. It’s almost dinner time and you haven’t even had a chance to shower yet. You’ve yet to return phone calls and respond to emails congratulating you on the birth of your baby. And the parenting book you’ve been reading recommends you read to your baby for at least 20 minutes. On top of everything, you now feel guilty that you aren’t doing everything you can to make your baby smarter.

Don’t throw in the towel, just yet. Reading with your baby doesn’t have to be another of those things on your ‘To-do’ list that you never get around to doing. Cuddling up with a pile of books in a quiet, cozy corner every afternoon may be the fairytale way to do it, but it’s not the only way.

You can find time to read with your baby no matter how crazy your day. In fact, spending a few minutes reading to your kid may be a great stress-buster and you may even emerge refreshed.

If you want to make some time to read with your baby but are having a tough time figuring out how to squeeze it in your schedule, try these tips, modifying them to suit your lifestyle/day.

1. Combine reading with another activity. Bath time or meal time can be incredible opportunities to read with your child. Keep a few water-proof board books or vinyl books handy near your bath tub. Read to your baby as she splashes around. Sit her down on her high-chair or swing and read to her as you feed her.

2. Turn into your baby’s mobile DVD player. Stash a few books in your car’s seat pockets. If you’re taking a trip with your family and are not in the driver’s seat, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use the time to read to your little one. ( Of course, it may be your only chance to have an adult conversation with your partner…but, maybe you could work out a routine that works for you. For example, when we go on road trips, I set aside a couple of hours to read to and sing with my baby and the rest of the drive to chat with hubby or take the wheels.)

3. Go shopping with your baby. Reading doesn’t have to be from a book. Take your baby along to the mall or grocery store and make a reading adventure out of it. Point out to road or shop signs, read to her from labels on cereal boxes or from the covers of magazines near the check-out counter.

4. Read while waiting. At the restaurant or cafe, read out the menu or descriptions of dishes as you wait for your order. At the doctor’s office for a well-baby check-up? Is the doctor notorious for long wait periods? Perfect! Pick up a book and start reading to your kid.

5. Whatever you’re reading, read it aloud. If you’re preparing for a presentation, studying for a paper, reviewing something you’ve written or just reading a paperback…simply pretend that you’re reading it to your baby. Not everything you read to her has to be out of a picture book. Remember, it’s about exposing her to sounds, language, tone of voice and the printed word. By reading out from your paper, presentation or book, you’re accomplishing the task on hand while packing in some one-on-one reading time with your child.

Bottom line – on days that you can’t set aside time for reading, combine reading with an errand, activity, outing or chore. You’ll see how you’ve made time to read with your baby, almost like magic.