Creating the perfect reading routine for your children is a lot like all of the other habits you have tried to maintain. Maybe it’s eating healthier, exercising more, or watching less TV. They all start with a sprint, slow to a jog, and eventually stop.
Most routines fail for the same reason: We try to do too much too soon, feel overwhelmed, then choose to give up.
The problem is not your intention or your motivation. The reason it is difficult to stick to the routine is the design.
Often, the biggest gains come from doing less, not more. Limiting the time you spend reading means that choosing to stop is not a failure, only a temporary pause until next time.
In this blog you will learn:
- Why most reading routines fail
- How lowering expectations helps you read more
- How to slowly build on your new reading habit
The Problem with Finding a Reading Routine
There are many reasons a reading routine can stumble. These are the ones I have struggled with most myself:
Too long
When you’re crafting a routine, it feels like the sky is the limit. 15 minutes a night. 30 minutes. Why not a full hour before bed? Then reality slowly sets in.
Too challenging
You have your eyes set on the perfect book. Maybe your friends’ children are enjoying it, or maybe it is a book from your childhood. But your children are just not quite there yet and lose interest.
No agreed exit
Sometimes the opposite happens. Your children are so entertained that “one more page” becomes their battle cry. I once had to set a chapter limit on Roald Dahl because reading stretched late into the night.
Missing one day feels like failure
You will miss the occasional day or two. Life happens. But then guilt creeps in, making it more likely to avoid restarting at all.
You may have another issue that I haven’t mentioned. We all lead different lives and anything can get in the way. What we need is a plan.
The ‘One Page Promise’ Reading Routine
Try this tonight. Before reading, tell your kids that you plan to read just one page. One page together as a family. They can choose the location, the pillow arrangement, and which stuffed animals will be joining.
If they are enjoying the story, let them decide whether to read another page. At the end of each page, pause and ask again.
You can read out loud, or your children can read. What matters is that you do this together and pause often to decide whether to continue, because reading together at bedtime does far more than improve literacy.
Why the ‘One Page Promise’ Works
I know this works because it is my fallback when our own routine dips. Holidays, school breaks, and late nights are unavoidable.
The ‘One Page Promise‘ works because it is manageable for everyone and takes little effort.
By setting expectations low, every extra page feels like a win. Over time, one page becomes two, then five, until you are reading a full chapter again.
It also puts the power to continue in your children’s hands, giving them a sense of control over their bedtime.
You can put a limit on the number of pages you read to avoid the session getting out of hand. Maybe five is a good number to start with. If you make it to five, excellent! If you don’t make it past the first page, no problem!
Because the bar is set so low, restarting is easy. Even if you miss a day, you can pick it up again without guilt.
Common Objections
You might be thinking this still sounds like too much work. Maybe you have a child who thinks just one page is torture!
Or at the other end a child who thinks that jumping head first into a full chapter each night sounds like the perfect end to the day. (Or you could be like me, with a child at each end of the spectrum!)
Maybe the objections are coming from you. After a long day you feel too tired to sit and read from a children’s book. This is normal, and it’s why building momentum slowly is a better option for everyone.
Reminding your children that slow and steady is a good way to build a consistent routine is a lesson worth repeating.
Start Slow, Finish Strong
The beauty of this rule is how easy it fits into your existing routine. In this post I call it the ‘One Page Promise‘, but for you it could be the Two Page Promise or the Five Minute Rule.
Just remember the core principle: start small with the option to continue. And build in regular moments where everyone can decide if they want to continue or stop.
Starting small was my first step to building a reading routine that lasts. Once this mindset was in place, I added a few simple bedtime habits that made reading feel easier and more enjoyable, even on busy nights.
Instead of starting and stopping routines, your family builds a daily practice that feels shared and manageable.
This routine is there to give you permission to read, not pressure to read.
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