Let’s be honest for a minute…
Is bedtime reading driving you berserk?
If so, you aren’t alone. Many nights, it drives me to the brink.
What to Do When Bedtime Reading is Giving You the Blues
I don’t know about you guys, but I have this picture in my mind of how I would like bedtime stories to go. First, we snuggle up together and get comfortable. Everyone is quiet and calm. As I read story after story, the children’s eyes grow heavy until they can barely stay awake.
I tuck them in their beds, kiss their foreheads, and turn out the light.
(Don’t I wish!!)
In reality, bedtime is a chaotic blur.
There is nothing peaceful about this routine.
Despite my urgings to calm down, my children run amok and shenanigans ensue. They laugh and giggle, run and jump, and – and all too often- they wind up in tears. Because let’s face it: tired children running wild often result in injuries and bruised feelings.
When I finally manage to get my trio cleaned up in and their jammies, I am utterly exhausted… and extremely frustrated.
It’s no surprise that, at this point, the bedtime reading doesn’t feel peaceful. There is no stack of books due to the amount of time that has been wasted with shenanigans and tears. All too often, my children bicker over my selection, for siblings squabbles peak at bedtime. The bedtime story feels frazzled, rushed. My heart is not overflowing with joy. Instead, I sneak glances at the clock, summarize exceptionally long passages, stifle yawns, and desperately await the moment I can tuck each child in and close their bedroom doors.
I know how important it is to read aloud to children. As a lifelong reader, my goal is to raise children who love to get lost in a book, children who seek knowledge, children who are inspired by what they read… and yet sometimes bedtime goes badly.
On those evenings that bedtime reading goes poorly, I descend the stairs and promise to do better the next night… but the cycle continues.
I know I’m not alone.
Is bedtime reading driving you berserk?
We know what we are supposed to do at bedtime. We are supposed to cuddle up with our children and read them a stack of books. This routine is supposed to bring a sense of calm over the home.
But sometimes it doesn’t.
Still, we pick up that stack of books because that is what we are told to do, it is what we are supposed to do.
It’s okay to skip bedtime reading.
Yes, we need to read aloud to our children. No, it doesn’t have to be at bedtime.
If your bedtime reading routine is not working for you, if it is causing you stress and frustration, it’s okay to stop.
I am giving you permission to ditch the bedtime stories. Ditch them for a night, ditch them for a few months, or ditch them forevermore.
Several months ago, after far too many bedtime blues, I had a revelation: read-alouds are important all the time, not just between the hours of 6 and 8 pm.
The most important thing is that you read to your children, but that reading doesn’t have to happen during the most challenging time of day.
This is one of the many reasons why I adore our Coffee and Books tradition. Reading first thing in the morning works for us. It is peaceful. We are calm. We are happy.
It’s the opposite of many bedtime read-aloud sessions.
Our best read alouds happen in the morning when we are fresh.
We call this tradition Coffee and Books and it was an unexpected game-changer in our homeschool. You can read more about how it started here and you can sign up for a free Coffee and Books series here.
Or, click here to see some of the titles we read in a month.
My point is this: as long as you are reading aloud at some point, you don’t have to feel the pressure to make bedtime stories magical. In fact, you can skip them altogether.
Here are some ideas for making your read-alouds work for YOU:
- Breakfast
- Before or after lunch
- Before or after a quiet time
- Take your book outdoors and read in the sunshine
- Read aloud while your children play, or doodle
- Read aloud just before dinner, before the chaos ensues
The important thing is to find what works for your family.
You might be wondering what to do just before bedtime, during the time when you used to read aloud.
Here are some alternatives:
- Listen to a favorite audiobook together
- Go for a family walk before bedtime
- Play peaceful music
- Doodle together (read more about our Calm-Down Doodle Diaries here)
- Take time to play a game together to re-group before bedtime
- Enjoy a podcast together
- Play a calming CD to inspire mindfulness
Or, you could give each of your children their own booklight and send them to bed with a stack of books to read as a way to calm down. This strategy works well in my house!
When it comes to parenting, there is no rulebook. We often feel like we need to do certain things a particular way, but each family is unique. If your bedtime routine is giving you the blues, just stop. You’ll be so glad you did!
Need some help?
Here are a few of our family’s favorite bedtime story alternatives.
Favorite audiobooks:
Before I dive into audiobooks, I have to tell you about our favorite audio stories. We love Around the World Stories and Sparkle Stories!
And now here are just a few of our family’s favorite audiobooks:
Our family’s favorite podcasts:
- 60 Second Science
- Barefoot Books
- Brains On!
- Stories Podcast
- Storynory
- Ted Talks Kids & Family
- Tumble Science
- Wow in the World
Favorite calm-down games:
Our favorite mindfulness resources:
Do you want to see Coffee and Books in action?
Be sure to follow My Little Poppies because we share snapshots of our homeschool day… and heaps of fantastic books!
You are also invited to join the {Virtual} Family Book Club at My Little Poppies, a private Facebook Group for parents who love to read fantastic books to their children… and chat about them!
I just discovered your blog! I recently joined your FB group but didn’t know about this blog until today. I’m loving this! You described our bedtime reading to a T. I’m totally going to try a morning reading time or a tea time reading time. I’d love to do art and reading together. We’ll see how it goes. 🙂
I almost never read at bedtime. I am always sooooooo ready to go lie in my own bed and watch Netflix. However, the kids do love when I do a modern dance for them (funny funny). They also like tight hugs where I squeeze them as hard as possible. Quick and easy (and my exercise for the day).