Sanity Saver: The Reading Hour

Do you ever get a little overwhelmed by your children?

They aren't doing anything wrong--they are just busy. Very, very busy. I know, for me, there are moments the constant barrage of questions, requests, and chatter overload my mind--especially if it's already preoccupied by laundry, bills, and phone calls.

One day a seasoned mom shared one her best tips. The afternoon reading hour. Every afternoon everyone in her house took an hour to simply be still. Obviously, younger children used this as nap-time, but older children had to go to their rooms as well. They could read, draw, or rest. The only caveat was that they had to be in their room for one hour.

I remember thinking as she shared her secret, "We used to do this--why did I stop when we started home schooling?" She and I had the conversation just as summer break began, so it coincided perfectly with setting our pattern for the break. One night I asked the children their goals for summer so that we could create a schedule for accomplishing those. I then shared that we would also begin the habit of a one-hour reading time during the summer.

To my surprise--no one balked. By the end of the summer, the kids said that was one of their favorite parts of summer. Younger children benefited from extra rest during the day as our evenings chasing lightening bugs or picnicking stretched beyond bedtime. Older children loved a designated reading time where they could relax and read and also a little break from younger siblings. The time for my brain to rest paid huge dividends once reading hour concluded and the questions, requests, and chatter resumed.

Sanity-saver: institute a quiet hour for your family. The mid-day break keeps parents from being overwhelmed by the busyness of children and able to engage instead.