'Young' parents - how/when do you make time for reading?

[Prashant]

When we had the first one - it was relatively doable. But since the recent arrival of our baby girl, time is at a premium, so is sleep, exercise etc.

My lovely wife has read 7 tomes while breast feeding in the last month, and while previously she would not touch an e-reader with a long pole from a safe distance, she has discovered the Kindle (which I got for her) as a valuable tool to stay sane during the many hours spent breast feeding.

How have other folks handled a similar life situation, when demands on time were high and the 'To Read' list was long without sacrificing the experience of being a parent?

[Ben]

I found that audiobooks work well for my wife and me. We have one child and my wife flew through lots of books while nursing him. I listen in the car dropping him off at daycare now and while at the gym rather than watching the tv.

[[deleted user]]

Audiobooks are great for listening in the car or on an ipod. I do love actually holding the book though and at home that can be challenging. I think my daughter has some sort of radar that alerts her when I open a book (or lock a door) and sends her running in to find out just exactly what's going on. So, I have taken to spending time at the coffee shop, library, etc. just to get face time with a book. When I have time, that is.

[DeLene]

It's a struggle!! I don't do well with audio books, as my mind tends to drift to other things while I'm listening. I was able to read e-books on my iPhone while breastfeeding, but to be honest it was not a good idea as it distracted me from reading my baby's cues (we had breast feeding problems). Right now, I read for about an hour a day while on my stationary-bike trainer, which I ride while my baby is down for his morning nap. I adore reading before bed, but lately that time is reserved for doing family things with the hubby since we don't get much time together. It's really, really hard to fit reading in on a daily basis, but I make it a goal.

[Leslie]

When my kids were babies I read the books I wanted but I read them out loud. The kids spoke at a young age and developed huge vocabularies. I think for my family this worked. As teens they both have voracious appetites for books.

[Carolien]

I have 2 daughters, a 3 year old and a 5 year old. I basically find 3 short opportunities to read most days. I carry my iPad around during the day and read while standing in queues, waiting for meetings to start etc. We started reading bedtime stories as soon as they could sit, so each evening I read a variety of children's books. My youngest daughter consider 3 stories the absolute minimum for an evening read. I then try to fit in another 15 to 30 minutes before sleep. It's not perfect, but I still get quite a bit done.

[Steve]

I snatch reading time whenever I can. I read on the train, only 30-40 minutes a day in total, but better than nothing. I often go to library or a coffee shop at lunchtime and get half an hour or so of reading in.