We have been enjoying a bedtime read-aloud for the last five years. There have been rough patches, skipped nights, squirrely children, and books that fell flat, but still, the connections and memories we have made right before drifting off to sleep have been precious. I would be lying if I said I always look forward to this time. Sometimes I want to tuck myself in bed and call it a night-- and sometimes that is exactly what I do. But the longer I commit myself to spending these last few moments with my children for the day the more I see the positive impact it has on our family and our relationships.
If you have been wanting to start a nighttime reading habit with your children or need inspiration to pick it back up, I hope that this post can give you practical tools and encouragement.
Pick a spot
This is the first thing that needs to be decided and while you can switch it up each night, I find having one place that you all gather to read before bed helps create a solid rhythm to your bedtime routine. Right now, all our kids share a room, so this is an easy decision for me. But even then, I had to decide where everyone would be.
What works best for us is me sitting on our youngest's bed. Recently, I have tucked the kids in under their blankets before we start. In the past, they would be out of their beds, but I started to notice that they were distracted and squirrely and not sleepy by the time I was done reading. Do what works best for you and your children. It may take some trial and error.
Make it comfy
Making this experience as comfortable as possible for both you and your children will make you want to continue this new rhythm. If your kids are tucked snuggly in their beds or on the couch and you are sitting on an uncomfortable chair or the floor it’s time for a change! Find a comfy spot for all of you-- including you the reader! I have found the more comfortable and enjoyable the experience is for me the more consistent I am about reading at night.
Personal enjoyment only
I try to reserve our nighttime read-aloud for my favorite books or new books we are interested in that have nothing to do with our homeschool. Now of course we are still receiving all the amazing educational benefits of reading aloud and fully immersing ourselves in a different time, place, and life of a character, but we get to enjoy those without the expectations and pressure that can so easily come alongside school. I highly recommend saving any childhood favorites for this special time.
Establish Expectations
Things tend to go better when expectations are clear. Where do you expect your kids to be? Sitting down? Tucked under covers? Snuggled next to you? Can they play with things while you read or do you want them to start drifting off to sleep? It is best to lay out some tenditive expectations and then see how they go. Adjust as needed!
Short and sweet
I try to keep our time short and sweet. Some nights I will read for longer if we are all up for it, but I find I am more likely to consistently read aloud at night when I know it will not keep me from my bed for an additional hour. I especially love reading on my Kindle so I can see how long it will take me to read each chapter. I can decide if I want to stop where we are or if the next chapter is short enough to dive into.
Leave them wanting more
I especially love books that end on cliffhangers. They work especially well for two reasons. First, they can make you keep reading! Or they get you excited to come back to the book the next night. We are reading through the Wingfeather Saga right now and Andrew Peterson ends almost every chapter on a cliffhanger and I love it. Each night after dinner I can say, “Go brush your teeth so we can go back to Glipwood to find out what happens next!”. I am just as eager as the kids to find out where our story is taking us.
Aim for restful reading
Restful reading sits between perfectionism (anxiety) and neglect (laziness). You do not need to read every night to establish a nightly reading rhythm, but if you find you haven’t returned to your book after a few nights or it is taking an exceptionally long time to finish a book make sure you are not swinging over to neglect. We read aloud most nights. Not every night and of course sickness, travel, and events will change the ebb and flow of our rhythm, but for the most part, we read through one book every 1-2 months.
So what should you read? Below are a few of our favorite nighttime read-alouds that we can venture through together!
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If you have always dreamed of cozy nights snuggled up reading a book at night then I encourage you to take the step to make this a reality in your life. You might need to say no to a few things, not sign up or attend events. You get to decide what your life looks like and how much margin you want in it. I can say from personal experience and our personal family priorities that refusing to over-commit in the ways culture says is necessary to lead a fulfilling life for you and your kids is more fruitful than any activity you could ever sign up for. Slow mornings, unhurried dinners, and cozy evenings are all possible when you create boundaries for your family.
So what will you be reading next? Let me know below. Feel free to leave your favorite read-alouds in the comments below for others too!