Another pro I'd add: morning time is super easy to default to screen-based entertainment. There's a reason "morning cartoons" were a thing in my childhood and apparently have been around since the 1960s if Wikipedia is to be believed.
Anything you can do to fight against that and set a different default for your family is a big win.
That's a great point; that never even occurred to me. (We don't watch TV during the week, even at night, so it's just not something my kids -- or anyone else in my house -- expects in the morning or otherwise.)
My own morning time has become sacred. If I don't get those 15-20 minutes (like this morning), I do feel a little *off.* Reading in the morning is one of my favorite luxuries.
We have done morning time for ...14 years now? At least.
We've even inserted music (my son has loved classical music since he was little) and also audio books when *you just can't anymore*.
Currently with my 16 and 17 year olds we're going through a handbook of world religions! You just never know what you're going to get ...but it's always going to be good. LOL
My son is a toddler, but I started reading poetry to him at breakfast because he wasn't a great conversationalist (I can only do so much with "more, more") but I still wanted to be present with him. Now at almost 2, he's associated breakfast with reading and will ask for specific poems in the morning. Right now, he loves The Owl and the Pussycat :) I've worried how we'll keep up this ritual once he starts school, so it's nice to see how you've continued to make time for it!
You've already done the hardest part -- creating the routine. Let that groundwork carry you into the school years. And remember, even 10 minutes counts. Five minutes. Two! (A couple of poems probably takes *less than two!*) And if you really and truly cannot fit it in before school, okay, no problem, there's breakfast on the weekend. Twice a week is better than zero times a week. Or there's after school. Or dinner. Or bathtime. Find the pockets of time in your life and use them creatively. There are no rules!
It's true that it takes effort, time, and intention to ensure that kids are reading these days. But it's also nowhere near impossible. And if this newsletter has taught me anything, it's that there are an enormous number of parents and caregivers out there who care deeply about raising readers -- so you're not alone. And you're doing such an amazing job already.
Therapist (and reader! And read-alouder!) here to say, ‘Please Let’s All Work Hard to Regulate Our Emotions’ would slap, and I hope you write it. Here for any therapist-y consultation I can offer!
This sounds wonderful to me!! But I’m struggling to envision how to do this when we have to leave at 6:45 am for school. Are your kids early risers? Maybe we need to start with weekends..
We don’t have to leave for school until 7:35am. I drive them to school so they don’t have to take the bus, which means we can have about 35 extra minutes together. I get up at 5:50am; they get up at 6:30am.
Lots of people do Morning Time at another time of day. Do you have a 10 minute pocket of time somewhere?
Another pro I'd add: morning time is super easy to default to screen-based entertainment. There's a reason "morning cartoons" were a thing in my childhood and apparently have been around since the 1960s if Wikipedia is to be believed.
Anything you can do to fight against that and set a different default for your family is a big win.
That's a great point; that never even occurred to me. (We don't watch TV during the week, even at night, so it's just not something my kids -- or anyone else in my house -- expects in the morning or otherwise.)
My own morning time has become sacred. If I don't get those 15-20 minutes (like this morning), I do feel a little *off.* Reading in the morning is one of my favorite luxuries.
We have done morning time for ...14 years now? At least.
We've even inserted music (my son has loved classical music since he was little) and also audio books when *you just can't anymore*.
Currently with my 16 and 17 year olds we're going through a handbook of world religions! You just never know what you're going to get ...but it's always going to be good. LOL
I love this! I forgot to mention music but it has a place for us, too.
My son is a toddler, but I started reading poetry to him at breakfast because he wasn't a great conversationalist (I can only do so much with "more, more") but I still wanted to be present with him. Now at almost 2, he's associated breakfast with reading and will ask for specific poems in the morning. Right now, he loves The Owl and the Pussycat :) I've worried how we'll keep up this ritual once he starts school, so it's nice to see how you've continued to make time for it!
You've already done the hardest part -- creating the routine. Let that groundwork carry you into the school years. And remember, even 10 minutes counts. Five minutes. Two! (A couple of poems probably takes *less than two!*) And if you really and truly cannot fit it in before school, okay, no problem, there's breakfast on the weekend. Twice a week is better than zero times a week. Or there's after school. Or dinner. Or bathtime. Find the pockets of time in your life and use them creatively. There are no rules!
Thank you for these tips! And thank you for this newsletter. As a new mom, it's truly a buoy in a sea of "kids can't read!!!" content.
It's true that it takes effort, time, and intention to ensure that kids are reading these days. But it's also nowhere near impossible. And if this newsletter has taught me anything, it's that there are an enormous number of parents and caregivers out there who care deeply about raising readers -- so you're not alone. And you're doing such an amazing job already.
Therapist (and reader! And read-alouder!) here to say, ‘Please Let’s All Work Hard to Regulate Our Emotions’ would slap, and I hope you write it. Here for any therapist-y consultation I can offer!
HA! Right? A board book for toddlers through adults.
Proof that picture books really *are* for everyone!
This sounds wonderful to me!! But I’m struggling to envision how to do this when we have to leave at 6:45 am for school. Are your kids early risers? Maybe we need to start with weekends..
We don’t have to leave for school until 7:35am. I drive them to school so they don’t have to take the bus, which means we can have about 35 extra minutes together. I get up at 5:50am; they get up at 6:30am.
Lots of people do Morning Time at another time of day. Do you have a 10 minute pocket of time somewhere?
I typically read during his bath time! That’s before bed, but I suppose as long as we’re reading and he’s enjoying it, it’s okay. 😉
More than okay — you’re doing an amazing job!
I think you can guess how much I love this!