Jun 20, 2011
Summer Vacation Survival Tips: BOOKS!
Sssshhhhh! Sssshhhhhh! Do you hear that?
No? No?
That my friends, is the sound of SILENCE!
I survived week #1 of summer by getting copious amounts of library books for the boys! When we got back from the library earlier this week, I think they sat silently on the couch like that for at least 30 minutes. And in mom time, that’s like 3 hours. I’m not too sure about the conversion, but that seems about right.
So my second strategy for surviving summer is:
BOOKS! GLOOOORIOUS BOOKS!
- There’s really no need for a list here. I just like making them.
- Lots of books (I think we checked out 23 last time)!
- Go to the library often! Kids looooove new books!
- I’ll stop making lists now.
In the past I’ve sworn off of the library (for short amounts of time) because I would spend hours trying to locate that one last book that somehow got shoved into another book and then reshelved. Or stuck between the bedframe and the mattress. Gaaarrrr!
However! I’m trying to be better about keeping the kids’ library books in the library bag. Now there’s a concept! I’ve also been trying to get the boys into the habit of returning the book to the bag when they’re done with it. If this plan succeeds I might get a few hours of my life back. Okay, probably not, but I might save on gray hairs. I’ll take what I can get.
Bahahaha! Loved this post! We have been venturing to the library this summer as well because it has been 100 degrees plus where we live. My kids do the same thing when we get home. All 3 will sit in the living room quietly and I think you’re right in the mom time conversion – 30 minutes ABSOLUTELY feels like 3 hours!
Although, I just found a book wedged under a seat in the ol’ swagger van this morning and I was reminded as to why we keep the books inside and in the library book basket at.all.times. I loathe paying fines.
Anyways, fun post! Happy Reading!
Great post! But the only problem is that your kids must actually enjoy reading! I’ve often wondered what in the world a mama does to keep her kids busy if the kiddos don’t enjoy reading. Mine love it.
Sometimes we do mandatory reading time (especially if they are being hyper and I am trying to get dinner made!) where each boy has his own stack of books (sharing=fighting :-) )and his own piece of furniture. Works best after a trip to the library!!
My kids love the library as well. I tried the library book bag thing and found it too hard for my 2-year-old to use with much success. We’ve graduated to a library box (actually it’s a re-purposed diaper box…tres chic, yes?) The box is easy for the kids to fill at the library, keeps books organized at home and is easy for both my kids to sort through trying to find their favorite book (at least for that week). As for keeping track of them all, I keep the printout from the library with my other urgent papers for quick reference when it’s time to return the books. I try to plan on returning them a few days before they’re actually due to give me time to collect them all again and for that book or two that got away I can always login to our local library system and renew them before they’re overdue to avoid fines.
Thanks for all the fun tips!
Have the same problem with losing library books. My solution is that library books cannot leave the family room–they’re way more likely to disappear in bedrooms!
We have the same rule as the above commenter. The books don’t leave our “reading room” although, occasionally, I will oversee moving them to a blanket in the back yard and back. :) I have fond memories after my 2nd was born, we’d get a ton of books and hang out on the bed reading- before the little one could move around and fall off… I miss those days :)
We have had book time for years (now my boys are 12 and 15). The younger son wasn’t a huge fan of reading, but this has helped him learn to love books. He has a 30 min. mandatory time each weekday. The other son reads every spare minute he has, so we don’t have to keep track. We also have a library basket (rectangular), and books may be taken out for a while, but when they are finished, they are returned before another is taken out. Another thing we started when they were pretty young was room time (similar to blanket time as a baby). They spent 30-60 minutes in their rooms quietly playing alone. This nurtured creativity and self-sufficiency in entertaining themselves. Afterwards, though, you usually have to have a 10-second tidy. :-)
We love the library! I keep a library basket right next to the bookshelf, and when I straighten the shelves, I can dump any wayward loaners into it before they go missing. Ideally, my daughter would do this to, but…she’s three. We’ll get there.
The max amount of books you can have checked out is 100. Go big!! We’ve currently got 47.
We would take out 50 books at a time for three kids. My problem was not so much not finding the books to return them, as not finding the time to return them. Even one day late for 50 books adds up in fines. And usually I was more than one day late. I rationalized by thinking my fines just went to buy more wonderful books for the library.
Loving books. The best beginning for any child’s education.
I check out 20ish books at a time for my guys. I let them have 4 books at home, while keeping the rest out of sight. After 4-5 days, I rotate out the books and bring fresh library books from the bag. This reduces amt of books getting lost, keeps things interesting between library visits, and eliminates 2hr library book reading marathons (me reading, them listening).
We LOVE the library! Free books, free storytime, free a/c. Can’t beat it. We have a cubby on the kids bookshelf that is dedicated to library books and a “no library books in bed” rule. Also, our library will let you re-check books online as long as they aren’t already overdue. This has saved us LOTS of money.
We’ve also started our own “library” of sorts b/c the amount of books in my kids room was out of hand. So I packed about half of them into a rubbermaid and every few weeks they get to trade books from their shelves for books in the box. It’s like getting new books!
You just brought joy to my Librarian heart!!! What a beautiful post! Keep reading, Pipers!!! If your missing one, it will turn up eventually. :) They always do.
The other day I was riding in my van with 4 kids…in silence! Yea books! Our summer reading programs through the library are huge motivators for them. They usually read 1-2 hours a day. I love it!
We love the library. My oldest daughter just got a palette expander put in, which means she now talks funny. They told her to either talk on the phone (which she doesn’t want to do since, well, she talks funny) or read books out loud. So even though she’s feeling miserable, she really loved having an excuse to get me to take them all to the library. We have one shelf on our multitude of bookshelves that is reserved for library books. But since all my kids are old enough to read in bed at night, and since I carry books I’m reading everywhere I go, we do occasionally misplace a book. Like Melanie said, they usually turn up. Occasionally they haven’t, though, and even then the price is small when you average it between all the books we’ve read, free of charge, between losing one…
We went to the Roseville library last Saturday (The Day With All The Rain, Part 29), and oh my goodness. We had so much fun checking out books. We got in lots of reading that day, and seeing as the rain continues, we’ve continued the reading marathon this week. We also checked out a few videos, which have been a total hoot. (I checked out what I thought was a DVD of 1960s-Adam West Batman shows. Turns out, it was an Adam West Batman movie! The kids died. Pow! Zing!)
My advice is to have a dedicated library book bag or shelf or basket, and to use the online system to double-check that you have everything that’s due before you leave home. Another tip? You can renew items online as long as it’s not requested by someone else. I’ve done that often when we just couldn’t get to the library to return something by the due date.
I let my kids go through the scholastic book order forms they get from school (and they get LOTS) and circle the books they want. Then I go online and reserve the book. They send me an email when the books are ready to be picked up and I go pick up the books from the reserve shelf. It is great and fast! Plus works for CDs and DVDs too.
BTW we keep our books in a gook basket and they know that is only for library books. That way we don’t lose as many :)
Someone else might have left this, but we have a hold system at our library. I go on line in the quiet of the night or nap time and place on hold a bunch of library books I want. The various branches send them to my local library and then weekly or so I can pick them up at the hold shelf where a dozen await me (limit for holds is 15 at a time). I can take them home w/o the 18 month old screaming while I search or unshelving everything. It also helps me b/c the girls can’t ask for lots of unpreviewed books!
Never mind, Betsy had already told you. Hunt’s “Honey For a Child’s Heart” has one of many great recommendation lists.
I second the women who reserve on-line at home. It rocks! Since my kids were little, they are now 6 and 7, I have reserved books on-line after they went to bed once or twice a week and about two to three weeks before all major holidays etc….
I do let them choose a few books at the library, but having books waiting, has made library time manageable. Not only that, but I reserve books based on the seasons, holidays, and things they like.
Reading via reserving on-line at our local library has brought a lot of sanity to crazy rainy days in my home, instilled a wonderful love of books, allowed me to direct their learning, created avid great readers and all while still allowing them some choice at the library.
I also run Amazon in an open window while I am up and running on the library system. I can search for a certain topic of book at Amazon and see what is brand new off the presses, what is classic and what got great reviews and then see if the library has it – most times they do.
The library on-line system is pure bliss! Love it, love it, love it!
I do let them choose some books as well, but usually we’re not there long enough to be taking home tons of unknowns. I just like to keep the insipid, low quality books and those that undermine the family at a minimum. Plus, with three four year olds, too much Olivia and the like can lead to much wall painting and mischief!
I am amazed that your kids love to read..my kids is more on techie
gadget.How can I make them love to read books.
Wow! The first time I saw the picture was, I was so touch by that scenario.. How I wish most of the children are like them.. Instead of playing things that is not good why shouldn’t read books for them for the young ages. Cool stuff!
What a beautiful post! Keep reading
What a beautiful post!