How I Actually Fit Reading Into My Busy Mom Life (No, Really)
Some days the only "me time" I get is the 4 minutes I spend pretending to look for something in the pantry.
If you're a mom who loves books — like, really loves them — you know the particular grief of staring at your TBR pile and wondering when, exactly, you became someone who only finishes one book every three months.
It's not that you stopped loving reading. Life just got loud.
Between school pickup, dinner, the mental load of remembering everyone's everything, and the 45 unread texts in the family group chat... your Kindle started collecting dust.
But here's what I found out: you don't need more time to be a reader. You need smarter pockets of it.
Here's exactly how I read — consistently, happily, without giving up sleep or sanity.
I Stopped Waiting for the "Perfect Reading Moment"
For a long time, I thought reading had to look a certain way. Candle lit. Tea hot. House quiet. Zero children requesting snacks.
Cute idea. Completely unrealistic.
Once I let go of the idea that reading had to be an event, everything changed.
Now I read in the school pickup line. I read while my kid is at gymnastics. I read for 10 minutes before everyone wakes up, coffee in hand, still in my robe.
Not glamorous. Absolutely effective.
If you wait for the perfect moment to read, you'll be waiting forever. Sneak into the imperfect ones instead.
Audiobooks Are Reading. Full Stop.
I will die on this hill.
Audiobooks completely changed my reading life as a mom. I "read" while I'm driving, folding laundry, washing dishes, or going on a walk that I told myself was for exercise but is really just an excuse to finish a chapter.
The romance and romantasy genre is especially good in audio — a well-narrated dark romance? Unhinged in the best way. Your commute will never be boring again.
If you haven't tried audiobooks yet, Libby (free through your library!) is a great place to start. No excuses, no cost, just vibes.
The "15 Minutes Before Bed" Rule
I used to scroll my phone until I passed out. Same content, different night. Zero satisfaction.
Now I read for at least 15 minutes before bed instead. Just 15. No pressure to hit a chapter goal, no guilt if I fall asleep by page three — which honestly happens and is fine.
15 minutes of reading every night adds up to hours of reading per month. That's whole books, people.
And honestly? It's a better wind-down than doomscrolling ever was. Try it for one week and tell me you don't sleep better.
I Read What I Actually Want to Read
This sounds obvious but took me embarrassingly long to figure out.
I used to pick up books I thought I should read — literary fiction, nonfiction, things that felt impressive. And then I'd stare at them guiltily for three months without touching them.
The second I gave myself full permission to just… read romance? Read romantasy? Read whatever ridiculous, dramatic, morally-grey-hero story I was obsessed with?
I couldn't stop reading.
Reading for pleasure is still reading. You don't need to justify your TBR to anyone. Read the spicy fae book. Read the small-town romance. Read the villain love interest series your friends are judging you for.
Your joy is the point.
I Keep My Book Close (Like, Actually Close)
My Kindle goes everywhere with me. Purse. Nightstand. Counter next to the coffee maker. I've been known to read standing up waiting for water to boil.
Out of sight really is out of mind — especially when you're a mom and your brain has 47 tabs open. If your book is visible, you'll pick it up. If it's buried under backpacks and permission slips, you won't.
Make it easy on yourself. Put the book somewhere obvious.
I Let Go of the Guilt
Some seasons I read a book a week. Some seasons I read one book in two months and that's fine.
Mom life ebbs and flows. Summer is chaos. Holiday months are feral. Back-to-school week is a whole personality. Sometimes reading falls off, and that doesn't mean you've failed or that you're "not really a reader anymore."
You're just in a busy chapter. (Pun fully intended.)
Come back to your books when you can. They'll wait.
You're Still a Reader
You don't need to read 50 books a year to count. You don't need a perfectly curated shelfie or a five-star review on every book. You don't need to finish every book you start.
You just need to love it — in whatever form, in whatever stolen moment you can find.
Busy moms deserve beautiful stories. Don't let the chaos take that from you.
Looking for your next favorite read — or something bookish to make your reading nook even cozier? Browse the Straight Up Bookish shop for T-shirts, Stickers and more made for readers just like you.