Okay, maybe I don’t know why ALL homeschool moms love the library, but here are the top 3 reasons that THIS homeschool momma loves the library.
- It sparks my children’s creativity. They can browse through books and learn about things they may not have otherwise been interested in. Like a couple weeks ago when we decided we’d do a quick unit on sharks and sea creatures because the library had several books that inspired us. My prep work was minimal, we picked out the books, read them, and the kids and I talked about what we had learned. The 3rd grader does this often and makes stories and drawings about the new facts he’s discovered.
He’s also really into bugs and insects thanks to some books that have helped him identify the creepy crawly creatures he finds. Last night he found a beetle, and made a Lego home for it, complete with a toilet; where does he get these ideas from? For the record, that beetle ended up back outside before bed, because I was NOT sleeping with that thing in the house, even if he seemed to love the Lego house, I knew eventually he would roam.. and nope, not in THIS home!
Basically what I’m saying is books open up a whole new world. I prefer the kids read non-fiction, but you know what? The fiction books are great for their imaginations too! It took a while for me to embrace that, but I’m fully there!
- It’s free. I’m sure you considered this to be on the list, right? But let me put this in perspective, last week alone we checked out children’s books and 2 kids DVDs that if I had bought at the best prices on Amazon (even used), would’ve totaled over $130! Yep! I’d say that’s a good reason to visit the library. And folks, we do this every week! Sometimes we get the same books, but often they’re ones we haven’t read yet.
Don’t get me wrong, we still own a ridiculous amount of books at home, but I’m grateful we don’t have to own ALL the books; we can check many of them out for free!
- It’s a family tradition. I use to take the kids to the library when my husband was at work. But each time we had a toddler in the house, our library visits got fewer and fewer until they were almost nonexistent. It’s just a lot of work, people! With Mr. Awesome joining us it’s a breeze to take all of the kids, and it’s a fun family outing for us! My husband isn’t a big reader, which is totally okay, the library still has lots of other things for him. He picks the DVDs for the week, the kids pick books, and I usually browse the cookbooks (knowing full well that I may never make a thing out of them).
It may sound lame, but we actually have turned down invitations for other things that fall on our library night, because we just love the time together so much. In 4 years our oldest can move out of the house, so we are embracing all of these little traditions she loves, while she still loves them. I guess that’s how you know you’ve matured fully into parenthood, huh? ha! Family date night at the library!
I love that the library isn’t over stimulating, there aren’t screens and noises everywhere, and it’s just simple. As we all know, I think simple is better.
We still buy plenty of books, in fact I ordered one this morning that goes along with our geography curriculum because we’ll need it for the whole year (yes, we’re on week 19 and I’m switching curriculum. If it isn’t working, I toss it out {actually try to sell it and regain some of my losses} and try something new). I also love buying books as gifts for my kiddos, my nieces and nephews.
Now that I think about it, I think these are the reasons that ALL moms love the public library, not just homeschool moms. PS. If you’re wondering why teenagers love the library, it’s this… FREE WI-FI! Maybe a few other reasons too. 😉
My two older kids have reading time with their youngest sister. As you can see in the picture they set a timer and just start reading books. The oldest kiddos honestly don’t mind it at all, and in fact I think they enjoy the time with her, and it’s an “easy task”. I know our littlest LOVES this, and it is often a highlight of her day. From an education stand point, it’s a win-win for everyone.
Here’s what we checked out this week:
This list may be a bit large, but I’ve included pictures you can properly skim them, like I know we all do. If you see something you like, I encourage you to create a book wishlist for the grandparents. As Christmas approaches and people start asking what your kids need, you can always say “BOOKS!”
Here is the awesome 31 bag that we use to tote it all home:
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