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Forum -> Hobbies, Crafts, and Collections -> Reading Room

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ILOVELIFE

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 3:34 am

So I'm looking at your reading material and hearing e/one saying WHEN does she read this and sheepish me has the same question. I'm a read-aholic. I never thought the day would come that I couldn't finish my reading material but my kids are KA"H a handful. I know which days you read what but HOW? How does Mendy let? How does SM let? Where are they on Shabbos when you are reading? Where is your husband? I miss quiet reading (though I love my kids and wouldn't ch'v trade them for a/thing) but I'm finding it increasingly more difficult to keep up with and these days I'm only getting Hamodia, Yated (I read only 2-3 columns and might drop it), Binah, Mishpacha and Z'man monthly.

bnm

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 4:01 am

I 'only' bought the Binah and Ami this week, but bought 2 weeks worth of Ami, and read the Mishpacha and Hamodia at my mother-went there for seuda yesterday but went early and took my daughter over today to play so got to read.

I sometimes have that I can't sleep friday night and since there isn't a shabbos version of Imamother I did read some then. I also read 5 childrens books 3 times each to my daughter. I tried reading the Aim from Ami and she took it and gave me Ami Living, as soon as I read a few lines she traded back. this went on enough times that I was able to finish a few articles. Last week I never got to read Binah Bunch since she claimed it as hers and then destroyed it... they should put in a story I can read to a 2 year old, she likes looking at the food pictures in all the Woman's sections.....

oh and you know that wonderful invention called a bathroom break? you tell the husband he is in charge and you escape for 1/2 hour.

this is from someone who used to read Hamodia Daily EVERY SINGLE DAY before school/work. the weekly, MIshpacha and a few books every single week. I"m down to just Bina, Mishpacha and Ami and kiddy books, Hamodia if I have time while sitting at my parents before the meal, if we go over that shabbos. if not I sometimes read it during the week if I go over there. and if you visit my mother and find potatoes in strange places you'll know its because I left my daughter unsupervised for a few minutes too much....

shabri

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 5:47 am

I read when I nurse. But I only get Mishpacha & occasionally will buy Binah

manhattanmom

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 9:50 am

I'm not sure how old your kids are
Mine are 3 1/2 and 2. And they play really nicely together. Like right now, for example, I'm in front of the computer for a few minutes (am really in the middle of doing something essential, not imamother...) and they are reading books together. They play a lot together without needing so much moderation.
Yesterday (shabbos morning) they played with their trains for a good 45 minutes before they needed me to get involved. So for 45 minutes I read a good book.

I do play with my kids a lot. I really do. Just not all of the time.

yo'ma

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 9:52 am

Now is another story, but when we used to take turns taking naps, I would read for 15-20 minutes before going to sleep...sh!!! Smile

Last edited by yo'ma on Sun, Jan 23 2011, 9:52 am; edited 1 time in total

Tova

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 9:52 am

Manhattan - mine are also just about the same ages and I totally agree with you. b"H they play nicely together, make messes together, etc. and I do usually have plenty of reading time even while making time to play with them and read books to them.

newlymarried

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 10:02 am

[quote="bnm"if you visit my mother and find potatoes in strange places you'll know its because I left my daughter unsupervised for a few minutes too much....[/quote]

My daughter also loves to peel potatoes and leave them all over the place.

My children cal also play on the floor together while I read, they are two, and 8 months.

zigi

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 10:02 am

I read ami living and aim friday night. and I read binah on shabbos. I am not so interested in the regular ami I am backed up I have 3 weeks worth of it to read. I also have 2 zmans to read. I need to be more awake to read it. I really wish that there would be the womans only option of ami. I really am not interested in reading about gedoli hador

Mama Bear

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 10:59 am

ILoveLife, I have boys. You have girls. You also have a small baby. therein lies the difference!!!

SM goes to shul with Dh 3X on shabbos. Mendy is 2 1/2 and plays very nicely by himself. He's not a the noodgy kind of kid.

So Friday night after licht bentching I have 2 1/2 hours until dh comes home. That's enough time to read the entire Binah and Family First.

The seudah is over by, say, 8:15. Mendy goes to bed, SM goes with dh to dh's parents. that gives me another 2 hours to read, until I conk out from exhaustion. I can finish the entire Mishpacha and maybe peruse Der Yid & Hamodia newspaper in that time.

Shabbos morning, again, SM goes to shul with dh. I usually get out of bed about 9:30. That gives me about 3 hours to read!!! Setting the table, making the eggs, keeping Mendy out of trouble/entertaining him doesnt take too long. In the spring and summer I go outside a little with him but not in the winter. 3 hours... I can finish Ami Living in that time.

(In case youre wondering why I don't daven... I have issues with davening, I find it very hard to concentrate, my mind wanders all the time. I know I shoudl try harder to daven but for now it's on the back burner,a project to tackle at some point.)

Shabbos afternoon is the hardest to be able to read, because when dh naps, I'm in charge, and that's when SM does need my full attention. He plays by himself a bit with clics or legos etc., but at some point I start reading books with him or role playing with him. I probably manage to read 2-3 articles in total during the afternoon.

Once SM leaves for shul with dh for the 3rd time, I have another hour or so to finish reading. (I do daven mincha sometimes then.) That is why, Hamodia magazine usually doesnt get read, and often the main Ami doesnt get read either.

In the spring and summer I go out with the kids too, but that's about 6:30 pm which is the same time span as the winter shabbosim for reading.

Hope that helps!!!

shalhevet

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 11:24 am

I guess this thread is going way off topic (and I'm not sure the original topic wasn't too personal anyway and should have been asked by pm), but I have to ask.

Do I remember correctly that SM is about 5 or 6? He goes to shul 3 times on Shabbos? For 2.5 hours on Friday night? And 3 or 4 on Shabbos morning?

I am really shocked. If this is true - 1. Does he go to 'shul' or play wildly and unsupervised outside during davening? 2. Doesn't he disrupt davening? 3. In my book, this is setting up a child for a lifetime of talking during/ eating garinim outside during/ hating davening.

Mama Bear

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 11:40 am

He's been going to shul since he's 2. At first dh only took him Friday nights. I was pregnant with Mendy, exhausted, and was chalishing to nap friday night and this was the only way I could get some rest. He was very difficult and wild back then.

Right before he turned 3, Mendy was born. If you remember, I was very sick for 2 months afterwards, and Sm was wild/destructive and hurting the baby. So he began then to take him mornings and afternoons as well. When I had recuperated I sometimes begged dh to leave him home with me a little bit on Shabbos but he steadfastly refused, explaining that it is better for the entire family that he take him with him to shul shabbos mornings. Shalosh seudos is of course not a big deal, it's one hour long and half the time everyone is eating anyway.

Of course he doesnt sit nicely and daven. He can't read yet! BUT - he doesnt run around wildly and unsupervised. Dh belongs to two small, family friendly shuls. The Friday night one is down my block. They have a simcha hall downstairs, an empty ezras noshim, and a backyard. When the weather is nice the boys are in the backyard. otherwise they are in the simcha hall, ezras nashim, or hallway. the older boys (age 6,7,8 ) play with him. Or he sits near dh with little cars or his alef bais sefer and quietly studies or plays. The old men in the shul LOVE him. He has made so many friends. A few weeks ago dh took Sm to Tosh for the entire Shabbos! at age 5! You should hear the stories Sm still tells over of Tosh and how adorably he asked the Rebbe in a timid voice for 3 thing (his little brother should start to talk, tatteh-mammeh should see alot of nachas from him, and tattteh-mammeh should have a lot of money and peace

).

Friday night the tefillos dont take 2 1/2 hours. Dh goes about 45 minutes after licht bentching and comes home 1 1/2 hours later. The total of 2 1/2 I mentioned was from when I light candles until we begin the seudah.

Shabbos morning, dh did wait a bit longer to take him to shul because it's a longer service and he would disrupt laining. But when it became a necessity to take him since I was sick and Sm kept hurting the baby, Sm quickly fell into the routine of the morning shul. The shul is in the basement of an elderly couple who are our great aunt and uncle. There are lots of kids there. They kids basically play upstairs in the apartment, or the backyard, or one of the empty rooms in the basement. They don't disturb the davening. Again, he brings with him his alef bais sefer, litlte cars, nosh etc., and he is very happy there. The rav and rebbetzin of the shul love children and are crazy over him. It's not a 3 or 4 hour service, more of a 2 hour. (about 10:30 - 12:30 or 1:00, the last bit of which is a kiddush.) So it's a win-win solution all - around.

Dh will not be taking Mendy to shul with him anytime soon! He is not ready for shul and is BH easier to manage at home, plus I am not pregnant yet nor will be in the near future. So it's a whole different story.

Thanks for your concern though Shalhevet Smile

Toriadore

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 12:19 pm

You might all think I'm crazy, but I don't think there's enough to read (I only have Mishpacha and Ami, I don't buy Binah except I'll go through it and catch up with the serials when I'm by my mom's house...she buys all the mags to keep all the visiting sons and daughter in laws entertained).

I was done with magazines by Friday night, and I read a book on Shabbat afternoon.

My kids--all boys--are 4.5, 3.5, and 1.5. They play. They're not interested in me. They want DH to play with them.

Aside from serving the meal and cleaning up, after working all week, Shabbat is my time to relax.

ILOVELIFE

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 3:28 pm

OK I figured s/thing out-- my dh goes to shul before I light (they daven @ licht bentching) and is home 1.5 hours max later so I get to read if the kids are quiet for 1/2 hour or so and then it's time set the table. BUT I have such a [crazy] work week that my kids cuddle up with me on the couch Friday night and want me to tell them the Parsha and read stories. I also have some of my neighbors coming over with their kids to socialize which I enjoy immensely but there goes my reading.

Shabbos morning my kabaddoole is up at 7:30/8 and usually they play nicely till they get starved adn tehn I eitehr get them to play nicely and I read or I give up and play with them. Daven? When and how? reading I can interrupt every second. The most I get to these days is P1A davening which we sing aloud. My dh is home from shul by 10:45/11 latest and then seuda is over by 1 and I'm bonked.

In the afternoon I usually read but these days I get less and less of that.

My kids are 5, 2.5yo twins and 3.5 month old baby.

I guess my reading days are numbered but B"HHHHHHHHHHHHH I'm so glad

thinking mom

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 5:22 pm

Shabbos is my reading time and reading is my Oneg Shabbos. Hubby always laughs that I'll stay up even when I'm bombed in order to read, but I tell him you can't relax when you're asleep. In a few hours on Friday night, and a snatched hour or two on Shabbos afternoon, you can cover quite a lot.

Mama Bear

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 8:19 pm

ILoveLife, if I'd have four kids under 5 at home I wouldnt be able to read either!!! I'm home most of shabbos with 1 toddler who isnt social or verbal and he does his own thing... I should really try harder to play with him on Shabbos instead of reading so much Sad

.

your reading days arent numbered: when the kids will get older you['ll have more time.

I'm amazed at how busy you are!!! Did you dream of this five or six years ago??? Smile

anonymom

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 8:52 pm

I go to bed super early Friday night. Then I wake up really early Shabbos morning and have time to read when the house is deliciously quiet. I love it and it works for me.

micki

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 10:49 pm

I ignore the whole world and read.

I read 1-2 books each shabbos.
I do what needs to be done fast, and then read read and sleep and read

Coke Slurpee

Sun, Jan 23 2011, 11:29 pm

I'm addicted to reading. When I have a good book nothing else matters. Its not so much of a question of how I have time to read, we currently get the Yated, Mishpacha and the zman (If I had more money we would get the Bina too) but a matter of setting priorities. I try not to neglect my kids too much (5 challenging, but delicous boys bet. the ages 10 and 3) but anything that needs to get done in the house - forget about it Rolling Eyes

I'm hopeless.

ILOVELIFE

Mon, Jan 24 2011, 12:38 am

Mama Bear wrote:

.

your reading days arent numbered: when the kids will get older you['ll have more time.

I'm amazed at how busy you are!!! Did you dream of this five or six years ago??? Smile

today I was pushing my double carriage and one twin was holding on and my big one was at the other side and at some point I just took it all in, whispered a prayer and laughed. Boy did I laugh. Hashem works in mysterious ways but now I look like those fertile myrtiles who used to annoy me to no end

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