During the school year, reading feels like it’s all about charting minutes 😕 That’s why I love to take the summer to remind my kids what reading is really about - escape! In our family we have a 13 year-old tradition we call The Couch Potato Book Club.

Basically it’s a super-exclusive, mom & little kid club that meets in weird locations around the house to read magic-filled books late into the night. I shared a few of the details on my latest KSL Studio 5 segment below...

Several of you have seen it in my stories and asked for more details. So here are our club rules:

1️⃣ Only fantasy books are allowed (preferably with a picture every few pages).

2️⃣ We never read in the same location twice (per book). Our club has met on the tramp, in the hideout, on the basement floor, in the hammocks, in the car, basically anywhere you can cram 4 bodies together.

3️⃣ No overhead lights allowed - only flashlights and lanterns.

4️⃣ Everyone has to be in pjs with their teeth brushed before we start. If they can do that before 10pm, we read two chapters. Otherwise it’s only one (we’re a family of night owls).

5️⃣ We use ridiculous voices for the characters and start each club with a secret chant (sorry, it’s classified 🤐).

6️⃣ bonus rule: if you’re on the couch reading a different book during the daytime hours, you have job chart immunity. However, the minute you step off the couch, you’re back in the world of chores with the rest of us 😁 (hence the couch potato name).

That’s it. There are no charts, stickers, or high expectations. We don’t even set a goal or a target to hit by the end of summer. We take it one night at a time and read whenever it works.

I have to push myself to do it sometimes because the long days of summer can be exhausting - but I never regret it once we start. So many of my happiest mom memories come from this simple tradition. It’s something I know my kids will remember for years to come. 👍🏻 If you’re looking for a simple way to inject a little magic into your summer, you should give this tradition a try. 

If you're curious about which books we've loved, you can find the full list over on my Amazon shop. Just click here to see the ever-growing list of favorites from my family.