It is a truth universally acknowledged by every parent of young children:
Life with kids is hard.
Even though Coronado makes parenting more enjoyable in many ways (the beach, the parks, the library, the weather, I could go on for awhile), kids are still kids everywhere. They are demanding as well as delightful, but they come with endless needs, like potty training or preschool pick up or playground drama or prom outfits.
So parents need a creative or intellectual outlet an activity to do after the kids are in bed, to talk about on the soccer sidelines, and to share with the world as their Passion In Addition to Parenting.
What is your outlet? Some moms I know make beautiful things with their hands, like my friend Tara: she works as a nurse and makes gorgeous jewelry in her spare time. Some moms love to run, like my friend Tracy: she tracks her progress in minutes, miles, and amazing races. Still others write beautiful essays, create amazing recipes, or develop a photography business at home.
And me? Besides dreaming about doing all those other things, I love to read.
As my children have become more numerous and more talkative, I’ve clung to reading more than ever. The year my first child was born, I read about 30 books. The next year I read 54. Last year I read 65, and this year maybe 70!
Why reading? Well, reading is sort of lazy, meaning it is deliciously relaxing. It requires sitting down, ceasing all conversation, and being told a story. For an introvert like me, this is not only peaceful it is also restorative and absolutely necessary for survival.
Reading is also something that cannot be undone. The floors don’t stay clean. The dishes don’t stay washed. The children don’t stay full.
But the books stay read.
Once you have read a page, a chapter, another book, it’s yours forever. When you finish a book, close the cover, and slip it onto your shelf, you can look at it in your messy, crazy home and think, “I read that, and it was good. That is one thing in this house that won’t change.”
And lastly, reading is also very quantifiable. You read a book, and you have read one book. You read 10 books, and you’ve read 10 books. Ten books! That takes work. You can set a goal, and you can achieve it, all while sitting in bed, turning pages, and being mentally fed and sustained. That’s no small thing for a parent.
But there were stages in my life when nothing on my bedside table interested me, and when I couldn’t imagine sustaining interest in a book. Slowly, that has changed, and I think there is one main reason: I have discovered my genre.
It’s hard to read anything when you don’t know what you’ll enjoy. But when you discover a category of book that really starts you turning pages, you can jump from one good read to another without wavering in between.
Thanks to Modern Mrs. Darcy’s summer reading list, I finally discovered this year that my favorite genre is women’s fiction. When I tell people this, no one has any idea what I mean, so I’ve come up with this very simple definition: it’s like chick lit or romance, but deeper.
It’s girl meets boy, but the girl is a lot more messed up and the boy is a lot less of a hero and there will be serious issues thrown in there too, like mental illness or euthanasia or abuse. It might be period fiction (Pride and Prejudice falls in this category) or it might be fairly new (like Big Little Lies). Once I plugged into this genre and discovered new-to-me authors like Jojo Moyes and Kate Morton, I was on a roll.
I also finally admitted I love memoirs, usually by women, usually modern. Food writing (like A Homemade Life or Bread and Wine) or personal growth (like Carry On, Warrior or The Happiness Project) are favorite memoir topics for me.
Oh, and one last genre. You’ll probably laugh, but here it is. I love pretty much anything about France. From Julia Child’s memoir to Parisian life advice to parenting guides, it doesn’t matter. And since reading at least for me as a mom is all about having fun and learning, I just go with it.
Here are a few tips that I use to keep wonderful books piling up and flying off my bedside table:
- Learn your library (especially the hold system) so that you always have a stream of free and interesting books trickling your way. I am a member of both the Coronado Library and the San Diego Public Library, and I visit both about once a week. Coronado charges 50 cents per hold, but the SDPL won’t charge you anything.
- Start with something that looks fun, and don’t let other people’s opinions stop you.
- Figure out the format that works best for you: tablet or audio or real paper.
- Join a book club. Peer pressure and deadlines will get you to read at least one book a month! I’m a member of the MOMS Club of Coronado, and a few of us meet monthly at a new restaurant to eat, talk, and discuss a book. If you’re looking for something a bit different, here is a list of 100 other book clubs within the area.
- And bring the book with you everywhere. The doctor’s office, the grocery checkout line, school pick up, or your own couch. You never know when you’ll have some downtime.
As you change diapers, make lunches, bandage boo-boos, and read books, I’ll be right there with you. Happy reading!
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“Coronado Living” is a weekly column written by one of eCoronado.com’s staff writers, Becca Garber. She writes about choosing simplicity and practicing hospitality with her family at home in Coronado. You can read more of her writing on her blog, BeccaGarber.com.
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Becca Garber
Staff Writer
eCoronado.com
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