Hi, hello, it’s me, Hannah – your resident lead for all things kids and schools at Mr B’s! I’ve been off and away raising my next generation of book worm, but now, I’m back! I’m a little bit greyer, a little bit wiser, a lot more sleep deprived. But most especially, I have an even stronger passion for children’s books now that I have my own little mini me, who I hope will be as voracious a reader as I am.
It’s so easy to lose so much of ourselves when becoming mothers and parents. I went into this period of my life with reluctant acceptance that I might not read again in any real capacity for some years to come. That’s what everyone told me, at least. As reading and books are a pretty major part of my identity, I grieved that lost part of myself before it even happened.
HOWEVER, in a surprising turn of events, I did actually read! I’m up to almost 30 books, which, sure, is a fraction of what I normally read, but at the end of the day, that doesn’t matter. I leaned into audiobooks and took whatever snippets of time I could to read my ongoing tbr (and shower and consume food of course). Reading was just not something that I was willing to lose because books have always been my comfort and peace. They became escapes when I was nap trapped on the sofa for the eighth hour that day. They reminded me of who I am. They are a special type of magic that manifests in unique ways for each reader.
I now get to share this special magic with my baby girl. From when she was itty bitty and loved looking around at Nosy Crow’s tummy time books, to reading Mr Brown Can Moo as we waited for her first bites of solid food to cool down, to whispering Mouse’s Wood to her as she fell asleep, I’ve loved every minute of it. As the eight month mark hit, she has started to discover the magic of books in all the amazing sensory board books that are out there for babies.
I’m now aware that my reading is dropping off even more as I return to work and find the balance of working full time and being a mom full time. The period of open book to ‘book-falls-on-face’ is getting narrower, but thankfully I’m in a place that keeps me inspired to read as often and much as I can. So a note to all the book-loving new time moms and dads out there, you don’t have to lose that part of yourself if it’s important to you. Or whatever part of you that is most important. Make time for yourself and for each other, and that baby will be one happy, lovely baby!
If you’re interested in what I read to myself or what I read to our baby girl for the last nine months, check out my maternity leave books here! And if you want to chat board, picture, kids, teen, or romance/fantasy books, or how Mr B’s can help your school, come find me in the shop!
