Need a New Year’s Resolution? Read Aloud More with Your Family in 2020!

Jan 01, 2020 by Erin Yun

A light blue graphic has in black block letters the phrase It’s Resolution Time! next to white pages whose 2020’s New Year’s Resolutions only have the resolution: Read! written on it.

From the editors of Fabled Films Press:  

It’s the time of year for making resolutions, whether your goal is to start a regular workout routine or to try more teas in 2020. This year, we have a resolution for you that will strengthen your relationship with your children, encourage reading and learning, and motivate you to spend quality time with your family: read together!

It sounds simple, but hectic schedules can sometimes cause reading together to fall to the wayside. This year, instead of just saying that you want to find time to read together more often, we have a plan to help make this goal attainable for you and your family.  

Have a specific reading goal that you’re reaching for, and then adapt it as needed. For older children, try to choose a book and read a chapter a day together. For younger kids, set a goal of reading three picture books every week. 

Reading can be nice to incorporate into a bedtime routine, but you can also read whenever works best for you—have some down time while making dinner? Try reading together for a couple of minutes. Waiting for an appointment to start? Pull out a book. Have a few moments while the kids are eating breakfast? They can listen while they eat. 

Even just a few moments of reading together on a regular basis can help you bond with your children, while improving their relationship with reading at the same time. It can be hard to have a set routine with busy schedules, but if you can spare a few moments here or there to read a little bit (together!) you will not regret it.

BONUS CRAFT IDEA: Teach your child about creating resolutions by setting goals for 2020 together! Grab a piece of paper, write down some resolutions, decorate the page, and hang it on the wall. Then, you can cross off resolutions as you complete them!