Family Read-A-Thon -

What’s a Read-a-Thon?

Sick and tired of television and Kindle addiction? I was! My family seemed sewn to their magic boxes of flashing lights. I, also, succumbed to the siren call of the screen. The comfort of the couch, the ease of switching off and tuning in to a storyline or game that always ends with a pleasant theme song and usually a burst of laughter. I get drained. Vampire style. But shutting down to turn on the TV was leaving me and my family hollow and a bit harried. We snapped and snarled at minor interruptions. Glares of angst and bitterness were hurled at a hug needing child or parent. With a line up of shows to watch and the urgency of digital dilemmas to solve, we were out of touch with life and out of touch with each other. What’s a mom to do?

The answer was crazy and unexpected. It came in the form of a Booktuber video by Christian YA and More and was completely contrary to my family’s plugged-in habits.

24 Hour Read A Thon for the entire family!!!

What? Why? You say…

Here’s my answer: It shook up my family’s tv idolatry and took us back to a love we’d forgotten about. Reading.

Here’s how it’s done:

Turn off the tv. Turn on some very quiet music.

Pile up some serious snackage.

Dig up some old favorite re-reads or books you haven’t had time for and stack them up.

Pick a time that works for your family.

Alert your friends. (cuz unless it’s an emergency, phones aren’t to be touched)

Snuggle up and read.

But I have kids with Learning Challenges! You say.

SO DO I! I respond

Here’s how that worked… Audible & Librivox.org.

My kiddo listened to 13 hours of Heidi. When she got bored and needed someone on one, my husband or I would take an hour or two and read aloud to her. Other than that she painted and drew while listening to great stories. She also dove into graphic novels when she needed a break from Heidi’s mountain.

Most Read A Thonners don’t sleep. They caffeinate themselves and keep pushing on. The idea of no bedtime excited my children and was part of the fun. However, they passed out long before the 24 hours were complete.

What were the results of our experiment?

A wonderful memory! A wonderful time! A wonder-filled delight that we can’t wait to relive!

Give it a try.

It doesn’t have to be fancy. It doesn’t have to last 24 hours. It’s a great way to stop the screen from invading an entire season. Let me know how it goes! 🙂

Our Favorites from this experiment: