Have You Tried the Library?
http://www.familymaker.net/articles/1454/1/Have-You-Tried-the-Library/Page1.html
Stephanie Foster
Stephanie Foster blogs at http://www.greensahm.com/ about thinking green as a stay at home mom. For more green parenting tips, visit her site. By Stephanie Foster
Published on 06/12/2008
With summertime comes bored children if you're a parent. The library is perhaps the most affordable source of entertainment out there.
Summer break is coming or even here for many families. With that comes the eternal whine: "I'm boooored!"
There are a lot of ways you can battle summertime boredom, but one of my favorites is the library. There's plenty to do at most local libraries, and it's not all about checking out books.
For younger children there's story time. Many libraries have a time where someone will sit and read to the children. They may even have different times for different age groups.
Libraries generally have a wonderful selection of children's books. This is a wonderful way to keep from needing to buy more and more books for your kids. You can introduce them to the classics you enjoyed as a kid as well as the currently popular titles without destroying your budget.
And of course there are plenty of books for older children too. If your kids aren't the sort to reread books you may be able to provide them with some great choices without going to the book store. And if they have a particular interest or hobby they're pursuing, the library can be a great resource.
Regular access to books is one of the best ways to bring a child up to be a reader. It doesn't really matter what kinds of books your child likes to read. Even reading comic books can encourage the reading habit. Rather than spend a lot of money on the habit you can borrow the books your children will love.
Many libraries even carry movies on DVD now. You can save some serious money on your movie rentals if you have a library card.
One of the best things about modern libraries is that they may even contact you to remind you when books are due, and you may be able to request a book from another branch online. This is a huge time savings, and if you pay attention to the reminders, a savings on late fees too.
And of course most have computers now too. While computer time is generally limited, it can be a fun place for the kids to play on the computer if they don't already do so at home.
Don't assume that your children will be bored at the library. Even people who say they don't like to read may find something of interest at the library. It's often not a dislike of reading, after all. It's more likely in my opinion to be a dislike of the topic being read. Give your kids a chance to enjoy themselves at the library.
There are a lot of ways you can battle summertime boredom, but one of my favorites is the library. There's plenty to do at most local libraries, and it's not all about checking out books.
For younger children there's story time. Many libraries have a time where someone will sit and read to the children. They may even have different times for different age groups.
Libraries generally have a wonderful selection of children's books. This is a wonderful way to keep from needing to buy more and more books for your kids. You can introduce them to the classics you enjoyed as a kid as well as the currently popular titles without destroying your budget.
And of course there are plenty of books for older children too. If your kids aren't the sort to reread books you may be able to provide them with some great choices without going to the book store. And if they have a particular interest or hobby they're pursuing, the library can be a great resource.
Regular access to books is one of the best ways to bring a child up to be a reader. It doesn't really matter what kinds of books your child likes to read. Even reading comic books can encourage the reading habit. Rather than spend a lot of money on the habit you can borrow the books your children will love.
Many libraries even carry movies on DVD now. You can save some serious money on your movie rentals if you have a library card.
One of the best things about modern libraries is that they may even contact you to remind you when books are due, and you may be able to request a book from another branch online. This is a huge time savings, and if you pay attention to the reminders, a savings on late fees too.
And of course most have computers now too. While computer time is generally limited, it can be a fun place for the kids to play on the computer if they don't already do so at home.
Don't assume that your children will be bored at the library. Even people who say they don't like to read may find something of interest at the library. It's often not a dislike of reading, after all. It's more likely in my opinion to be a dislike of the topic being read. Give your kids a chance to enjoy themselves at the library.