Build the habit of reading daily
You know how important it is to read every day with your child. But are you running in to obstacles that get in the way of this joyful routine? Have you had success in the past with reading one, two, maybe three days in a row, but then real life gets in the way? In this post we will set the right goals to motivate you to read with your child daily. Next, we will create a system that will make reading daily effortless. Finally, we will make the habit stick by moving past just staying motivated.
Set the Goal
The fact that you are on this webpage right now means you are ready to start reading to your child every day from here on out.
Tip #1 – Ride the Wave
You are motivated to read with your child, that is why you are here right now. Go ahead and get your supplies in order this very moment. Right now find one book to read with your child. Maybe you need to hop over to Amazon or the bookstore, possibly your library, maybe you just need to step in to the next room. Go ahead and get that one book RIGHT NOW! If you don’t have a single book, add one to your grocery list. Maybe now is the time to text a neighbor or call the school, and ask for just one book. Get your one book now!
Tip #2 – Tiny Wins
Break the goal down in to a tiny chunk. Something that is achievable no matter the time you have. You would not be as successful if you set a goal of running a marathon. People that set the goal of going to the gym an hour a day often fail after less than week. Better yet, set the goal of parking in the back of a parking lot, or doing two push-ups a day. Set the goal so small that you would almost feel bad, not achieving it.
Set your first goal as reading just one book a day with your child.
I purposely started by flossing one tooth a day to get the habit of flossing going. Flossing all my teeth might take too long, or if I didn’t have time I just wouldn’t floss. But one tooth. That is achievable in seconds. Reading one children’s book is achievable as well.
TIP #3 – Reward Yourself
Every habit is made up of three components:
1. A cue, which is a trigger for a behavior to start (like your alarm clock going off or seeing the book on the night stand)
2. A routine, which is the behavior itself (getting out of bed or reading with your child)
3. A reward, which is the benefit of taking action (your coffee first thing in the morning, or spending quality time with your child)
In order to make a habit stick we have to make sure the brain wants to continue doing it in the future. You automatically equate getting a cup of coffee with getting out of bed. With reading, you have several rewards to end up with.
For me, just spending time reading an entertaining book is the reward. Other times, the reward is that we read until my son falls asleep. By reading before bed, I have several rewards; I can either go to bed, or watch my favorite TV show uninterrupted.
Read with your child daily
There are many more ideas to build the habit of reading daily with your child. However, you have everything you need right on this page to get started. Find a book, place it on a night stand or on the kitchen table; somewhere you will see it and remember to use it. Either before eating a snack or before bed, read the one book with your child. Finally, reward yourself for reading, have a snack after the book, allow yourself to watch TV, or go to sleep.
You know how important reading daily is. Now stick to the routine, and sign up for the newsletter to receive ideas on reading daily, book recommendations, and more ways to help your child learn to read.