The laundry pile is on the couch again, and the book on your nightstand has had the same bookmark in it since spring. Your hands are busy for most of the day. Your ears don't have to be.
Audiobooks work for busy moms because they fit into time you already have. Borrow one with your library card and listen while you fold, wash up or drive to pickup. Many public libraries lend audiobooks through an app or their website, so there's nothing to buy, though you will need a card and a phone or tablet. Ask at the desk, or check the library's site, to see what yours offers.
Why do audiobooks fit a mom's day?
A printed page needs your eyes and your hands. An audiobook needs neither. Moms in online groups ask which audiobook options suit a busy day, and the answer that keeps coming back is the same: listen while you do the things you'd be doing anyway.
Folding a basket of towels takes the same ten minutes either way. With a story in your ear, those ten minutes are partly yours.
The usual advice for moms who miss reading is to make time for it. The laundry is time you already have. Put a story in it.
How do you borrow audiobooks from the library?
Find your card, or ask about one
If you don't have a library card, ask at the desk or check your library's website for what you need to sign up. Some libraries let you apply online.
Find where the library keeps its audiobooks
The library's website will point you to its audiobook collection and the app it uses. Sign in with your card number.
Borrow one
One is the whole first step. Popular titles have waiting lists, so if the one you want isn't there, take something that is.
Listen on the phone you already carry
Use one earbud, or the phone speaker turned low. One ear stays free for the room. In the car, play it through the speakers, start it before you pull out, and leave the phone alone while you're driving.
Once a story is going, placing holds on a couple more means the next one turns up while you're finishing this one. That part can wait until you know you like it.
What should a tired mom listen to?
Something that survives being interrupted. A book you've read before, a gentle series, short stories or essays. You'll be pausing mid-sentence for spills and questions, so pick something you can drop into again without rewinding far.
For the car, borrow a children's audiobook too. The whole car listens, and the drive to pickup gets quieter.
When can you listen with the kids awake?
Any job where your hands are busy and your mind is loose:
- Folding and putting away laundry.
- Washing up after dinner.
- Stirring a pot.
- The walk around the block with the stroller.
- Quiet time, while the kids play on the rug.
If a child needs you, pause it. The story waits. Anything where you need both ears, or where a pot is on the heat and a toddler is underfoot, is a job to do without it.
What if I fall asleep while listening?
Set the sleep timer if the app has one, and don't worry about losing your place. Skip back a few minutes and keep going. There's no pace to keep up and no chapter you owe anyone. A book that takes three months to finish still counts as a book you read.
What are the limits?
You'll need a phone or tablet and an internet connection to borrow and download. Popular titles can have long waits, and what's available depends on your library. Downloading at home over wifi saves your phone data for later.
What does it look like on a Thursday?
The dryer buzzes. You carry the basket to the couch, put one earbud in, and press play where you stopped yesterday. The toddler is stacking cups on the floor. You fold a towel, then another, and somewhere around the fifth one, you're three streets away in somebody else's story. The toddler asks for a snack. You pause it, get the snack, press play. You get through most of the basket and about half a chapter.
Key Takeaways
- Audiobooks fit into time a mom already has: folding, washing up, driving.
- Many public libraries lend audiobooks through an app or their website.
- Borrow one to start. Holds on the next ones can wait until you know you like it.
- Choose books that survive interruptions, and keep one ear free for the room.
- Losing your place is fine. Skip back and keep going.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can a busy mom read more books?
Listen instead of reading when your hands are busy. Borrow an audiobook from the library and play it while you fold, cook or drive.
Can I get audiobooks from the library?
Many public libraries lend audiobooks through an app or their website. You'll need a library card; ask at the desk or check the library's site to see what yours offers.
What if the wait list is months long?
Borrow something that's available now instead. The point is having a story going, not having that story going. Put a hold on the one you wanted and let it arrive whenever it arrives.
Does listening count as reading?
Yes. You followed the whole book. If it helps, stop calling it either and call it the thing you did while you folded the towels.
If the thing on your mind while you fold is the never-ending list, read the mental load of motherhood.
