Library Learning
I need to take the kids out of the house more often. We go to the big-box store about once a week, and that exposes them to new things like sounds, material goods they just discovered that they need, and germs. The kids just sit in a stroller or shopping cart in the store, though, missing the opportunity to exercise or socialize, unless wailing counts as socializing. We also go to the park frequently, and that lets them exercise and socialize. The experience gets repetitive, though, as the kids play on the same equipment, ignore the same neighborhood children, and chew on the same woodchips every day. Plus the weather is turning colder, so I won’t be able to take them outside to play while I ignore them and read my newspaper in peace for much longer.
What we need is some sort building in our community that houses a vast collection of materials for the public good, like books and videos, with one department specifically geared for children that runs programs to entertain child and caregiver, preferably at no cost to the user. If only such a place existed, with branches throughout the city for easier access.
I wish I had recognized the existence of libraries sooner. I have my reasons for not noticing them. My hometown of Sioux City had a grand downtown library several miles from my home, and dank branch libraries in strip malls that were also several miles from my home, so visiting the library wasn’t a common occurrence for me growing up unless I had a paper to research in those pre-Internet days, or possibly after discovering a dusty library book under my bed. We have two branch libraries near our home now, one serving the inner city and another serving the nicer part of town a couple miles away that doesn’t want to have to mingle with the inner city folk. I visited both branches a couple times before the twins were born in an unfocused search for board books for Abbie, but I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, and therefore didn’t find anything of interest. Then, once the twins were born, I stopped driving with the children unless the destination was essential, such as a doctor’s office or a frozen custard shop on the way home from the doctor’s office.
The twins are now easier to handle, and I’m feeling ready to leave the house for non-vital reasons, such as child entertainment. While reading the newspaper the other day, I saw something about a young children’s program in the main library. After searching on the Internet, I discovered the branch libraries offer similar programs, as do the libraries in the various suburbs surrounding Des Moines. I checked their schedules, checked my schedules, and decided to visit the branch near me in the nicer part of town, though I swear I picked them just because they fit our schedule better.
The first program we attended was yesterday morning. This was a toddler program meant for children ages 2-4. At 28-months, Abbie was the target audience, though the boys are about half the ideal age. I snuck them in anyway since it’s not like they could prove they weren’t 2 just because they can’t walk. Or talk. Or stand. The library offers a program for the youngest children, but Abbie is far too old for it, plus it requires the children to sit in an adult’s lap, and no one short of Vishnu could keep all three of my children in one lap.*
The program involved a woman, presumably a librarian, leading a roomful of cheerful children and caretakers in various states of consciousness through a series of books, songs, and flannel board activities. I’d estimate 40 children were present with 20 caretakers. Interesting nugget: At 28, I was one of the youngest caretakers in attendance, with most of the rest of them stay-at-home moms in their 30’s and 40’s along with plenty of grandparents.
We were in a large room, and the children spread out accordingly. Some clung to their caretakers around the edges, others moshed for position under the presenter. We hung out at the back, partially because Abbie needed to warm up to the room, and partially because the boys needed room to roam freely.
Abbie took her time soaking in the atmosphere. She didn’t get much out of the books since we were too far away, or maybe just because she couldn’t hold it while the woman read it. The song “I’m a Little Teapot” scared the snot out of her as she went running for the door crying, but I coaxed her back to the group’s fringes. Eventually she seemed to enjoy the counting, pointing, and chanting. I tried to get the boys into it, but they mostly crawled around, poking in other people’s bags for interesting toys. I found the program relatively entertaining, though I was a bit disturbed that they were singing and doing hand motions to songs I’d never heard before. Obviously I missed a parenting memo somewhere.
The program lasted 20 minutes, or exactly as long as a toddler can tolerate such a thing. All the kids were well behaved throughout, with everyone sitting quietly except for all those outbursts you expect from children ages 2-4. We made it back home in time for the boys to nap. I used their nap to check that the library was offering the same program next week.
* Just out of curiosity, could God create a toddler so squirmy not even He could keep the child in His lap?
What we need is some sort building in our community that houses a vast collection of materials for the public good, like books and videos, with one department specifically geared for children that runs programs to entertain child and caregiver, preferably at no cost to the user. If only such a place existed, with branches throughout the city for easier access.
I wish I had recognized the existence of libraries sooner. I have my reasons for not noticing them. My hometown of Sioux City had a grand downtown library several miles from my home, and dank branch libraries in strip malls that were also several miles from my home, so visiting the library wasn’t a common occurrence for me growing up unless I had a paper to research in those pre-Internet days, or possibly after discovering a dusty library book under my bed. We have two branch libraries near our home now, one serving the inner city and another serving the nicer part of town a couple miles away that doesn’t want to have to mingle with the inner city folk. I visited both branches a couple times before the twins were born in an unfocused search for board books for Abbie, but I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, and therefore didn’t find anything of interest. Then, once the twins were born, I stopped driving with the children unless the destination was essential, such as a doctor’s office or a frozen custard shop on the way home from the doctor’s office.
The twins are now easier to handle, and I’m feeling ready to leave the house for non-vital reasons, such as child entertainment. While reading the newspaper the other day, I saw something about a young children’s program in the main library. After searching on the Internet, I discovered the branch libraries offer similar programs, as do the libraries in the various suburbs surrounding Des Moines. I checked their schedules, checked my schedules, and decided to visit the branch near me in the nicer part of town, though I swear I picked them just because they fit our schedule better.
The first program we attended was yesterday morning. This was a toddler program meant for children ages 2-4. At 28-months, Abbie was the target audience, though the boys are about half the ideal age. I snuck them in anyway since it’s not like they could prove they weren’t 2 just because they can’t walk. Or talk. Or stand. The library offers a program for the youngest children, but Abbie is far too old for it, plus it requires the children to sit in an adult’s lap, and no one short of Vishnu could keep all three of my children in one lap.*
The program involved a woman, presumably a librarian, leading a roomful of cheerful children and caretakers in various states of consciousness through a series of books, songs, and flannel board activities. I’d estimate 40 children were present with 20 caretakers. Interesting nugget: At 28, I was one of the youngest caretakers in attendance, with most of the rest of them stay-at-home moms in their 30’s and 40’s along with plenty of grandparents.
We were in a large room, and the children spread out accordingly. Some clung to their caretakers around the edges, others moshed for position under the presenter. We hung out at the back, partially because Abbie needed to warm up to the room, and partially because the boys needed room to roam freely.
Abbie took her time soaking in the atmosphere. She didn’t get much out of the books since we were too far away, or maybe just because she couldn’t hold it while the woman read it. The song “I’m a Little Teapot” scared the snot out of her as she went running for the door crying, but I coaxed her back to the group’s fringes. Eventually she seemed to enjoy the counting, pointing, and chanting. I tried to get the boys into it, but they mostly crawled around, poking in other people’s bags for interesting toys. I found the program relatively entertaining, though I was a bit disturbed that they were singing and doing hand motions to songs I’d never heard before. Obviously I missed a parenting memo somewhere.
The program lasted 20 minutes, or exactly as long as a toddler can tolerate such a thing. All the kids were well behaved throughout, with everyone sitting quietly except for all those outbursts you expect from children ages 2-4. We made it back home in time for the boys to nap. I used their nap to check that the library was offering the same program next week.
* Just out of curiosity, could God create a toddler so squirmy not even He could keep the child in His lap?
posted by Matt at
11:57 PM
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