The write-up below is a direct repeat of the podcast audio for those who prefer to read. Whether you choose to listen or read, the content is the same—so go with what works best for you!
Hey,
On one of my recent episodes, a listener left a comment I just could not stop thinking about. So here we are.
Her son was great at math—rarely needed help. One day, he asked her to help. She gave it her best.
It was wrong.
He turned it in anyway. Lowest grade of the year.
And after that? She stopped reading with him.
"It felt like my voice didn't matter," she said. "Like maybe I was holding him back."
Now here's the twist: That wasn't even a reading moment. It was math.
But because we've been trained to believe that reading is about performance and literacy scores—she thought: If I got that wrong, maybe I'll get this wrong too.
This is what happens when we make reading solely about education.
We train parents to believe reading is something you can get wrong. That it's academic. That it's only for school. That if they don't "do it right," they might mess something up.
And judging by the leaps and bounds the literacy crisis still isn’t making… we may need to admit that we've pushed parents away from reading altogether.
Let me be clear:
Reading is not just about education. Reading is relational. Reading is legacy. Reading is how we build connection, belonging, and voice.
It's how we make sure our kids aren't just around us—but with us.
Now—some people say parents don't read because they don't care. Others say it's because they're tired.
But after five years in community—through schools, DMs, inboxes, shared reading experiences, and real families—I've learned something different:
Tired is a surface answer. Tired is a shield. Tired is code for something deeper.
So I created a Listening Room.
A quiet place for parents who feel far away from reading. Not to give more tips. But to offer truth, relief, and a different way in.
This isn't more parenting advice. It's a way to focus on what matters. It's where I speak the truths we rarely say out loud—and remind you that you're not the problem.
Nobody else was digging deep enough to realize: tired was never just about sleep.
And if this message is really speaking to you—
and you’re wondering what kind of reading we believe in around here—
Read our Engaged Shared Reading Manifesto.
It’s not about performance. It’s about presence. And it might name what you’ve been feeling all along.
My best,
Quinn 📚💕
