Hi bookish parents, I'm a life long reader and became a dad Feb 2025. Since becoming a dad I have not been able to focus on finishing a book. I went from reading 37 books in 2024 to reading 3 in 2025 (and they were before my baby was born. I've started lots of books on my to not finish them etc, etc.
Reading was my #1 hobby and form of entertainment for a long time. Now I can't seem to focus. Going into the new year, it's one of my resolutions to get back to normal (I know I'm not going to read as much as I used to but still)
My main problems are 2 fold:
1) Time is hard to come by. I'm a marathon reader so I'm muchore accustomed to going for long sessions of 1-2 hours. Reading in spurts is hard for me
2) a lot of times I'm so tired that I start to read and fall asleep. I've started reading on my lunch break at work and that helps a bit
Finally, I know audio books are going to be a suggestion. Good suggestion, I do listen to audio books. I just don't enjoy it as much, and it's not as strong of a stress relief as sitting down with a book.
Any tip helps and is greatly appreciated!
by MaRs1317
2 Comments
I held my daughter for all her naps and got through hundreds of books. 😅 As she got older, I turned into an audiobook person. Speeding them up so they’re on par with my reading speed was a major game changer for me.
I get all my reading done at night, after the kiddo goes to sleep. It may not be for very long, but that’s when it happens. It also helps me unwind, and mentally prepare for the next days’ parenting.
If the kiddo wakes up in the middle of the night, it usually gets some adrenaline going, so again I’ll read to help get my mind in a state of relaxation to go back to sleep. I’ll usually get 1-2 hours each night. But then, of course, there are those nights that I’m dead tired, so my reading sessions are only about 15 minutes.
Such is life with children. Congratulations! Being a parent is wonderful!