Story Time, Anyone???
About 90% of the time, this is where you find us on Tuesday :
There is an open-ended saying that goes, "You know you're a homeschooler if...." I have to confess - we have memberships to three libraries in town. Yehap - THREE. To make that sound better, we usually only use.... two???!!!
Even if nothing else seems to be going right in our week, I always try to make sure we get our library time in. My children have been going to a story time at the library since Little Mama was 2 or 3 years old. We started out with story time in a small library, far from here on the military base where my husband was stationed at the time. But when we moved to our current city, we expanded to the big library in town. So most of my children have literally grown up in the library, having gone since early infancy. Why am I saying all this? Well, mostly for myself as a way of remembering when they are older and we don't have these days anymore. I am going to miss this - the sweet faces as they hear story after story, song after song. The delight in their faces when they wake up and know it's library day. Whereas I used to have every child on the rug, now I have them sort of spread out - little ones listening to the story, bigger ones enjoying their chance to play computer games, checkers, or read. We have some of the sweetest librarians you could want in the children's section (possibly everywhere in the library, but I wouldn't know because we don't make it past the children's section!), and my kids love them!
However, there is more than just the enjoyment of getting to hear a story or play a game. Any homeschooling parent can tell you that the library is indispensable because of so many different areas of information that are easily accessible and therefore make it easier for us to teach them. When I decided to homeschool, it wasn't because I wanted to be my children's ONLY teacher, just that I wanted to know what they were learning, who they were learning from, and that they were getting the most opportunity possible. So I enjoy seeing them with the other children and the adults that they see from week to week, and learn how to be able to socially interact with all ages, from baby to grandparents.
Which just blows the concept of a homeschooled child being unsociable right out of the water!
They even get some sensory fun from time to time, like
these egg shakers that have a song to shake them with!
When sometimes I begin to think that it would be time better spent at home, with everyone getting an extra day of work and learning in there, I remember that I won't always be able to spend this time with them. When they get older, they won't have a need for times like this, and there will be so much more to do with them in other areas that we may not always have these kinds of weekly library trips. So I plan to enjoy it while I can and know that I will have no regrets of not giving them these special days!
There is an open-ended saying that goes, "You know you're a homeschooler if...." I have to confess - we have memberships to three libraries in town. Yehap - THREE. To make that sound better, we usually only use.... two???!!!
Even if nothing else seems to be going right in our week, I always try to make sure we get our library time in. My children have been going to a story time at the library since Little Mama was 2 or 3 years old. We started out with story time in a small library, far from here on the military base where my husband was stationed at the time. But when we moved to our current city, we expanded to the big library in town. So most of my children have literally grown up in the library, having gone since early infancy. Why am I saying all this? Well, mostly for myself as a way of remembering when they are older and we don't have these days anymore. I am going to miss this - the sweet faces as they hear story after story, song after song. The delight in their faces when they wake up and know it's library day. Whereas I used to have every child on the rug, now I have them sort of spread out - little ones listening to the story, bigger ones enjoying their chance to play computer games, checkers, or read. We have some of the sweetest librarians you could want in the children's section (possibly everywhere in the library, but I wouldn't know because we don't make it past the children's section!), and my kids love them!
However, there is more than just the enjoyment of getting to hear a story or play a game. Any homeschooling parent can tell you that the library is indispensable because of so many different areas of information that are easily accessible and therefore make it easier for us to teach them. When I decided to homeschool, it wasn't because I wanted to be my children's ONLY teacher, just that I wanted to know what they were learning, who they were learning from, and that they were getting the most opportunity possible. So I enjoy seeing them with the other children and the adults that they see from week to week, and learn how to be able to socially interact with all ages, from baby to grandparents.
Which just blows the concept of a homeschooled child being unsociable right out of the water!
these egg shakers that have a song to shake them with!
When sometimes I begin to think that it would be time better spent at home, with everyone getting an extra day of work and learning in there, I remember that I won't always be able to spend this time with them. When they get older, they won't have a need for times like this, and there will be so much more to do with them in other areas that we may not always have these kinds of weekly library trips. So I plan to enjoy it while I can and know that I will have no regrets of not giving them these special days!
LOL! We have membership at three libraries in our area and use two of them at least once a week each. My boys outgrew the storytimes (library age limits) at our closest library last year or we'd still be going. We've been to the library three times since Sunday. Kindred spirits!
ReplyDelete:) Good to know I'm not the only one! As much as we are there now, when summer comes, it's worse! Three words - summer reading program - enough said! HAHAHA we are there atleast twice, if not three times, a week then.
DeleteI love this! Brings back so many great memories from when I was homeschooling my kids! I shared your post on Sulia at http://sulia.com/livingmontessorinow/ along with Facebook and Twitter!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Deb! It is definitely one of the solid points in our week, and honestly - I wouldn't trade it for the world. These days of them being little won't last forever, and I look forward to being able to look back on them and enjoy the memories! :)
DeleteIf it makes you feel any better, when I lived in the city I had a library card from four of the area library districts. It's a librarian thing. So glad to hear your local library is doing a great job with their kids programs! I always like to reach out to the homeschool community here and let them know they are just as welcome at our programs as public school kids.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Amy! Yes - our library truly is wonderful! It is a big blessing having one so open to families and willing to do all they can to get the community involved. Good job on your part for reaching out to homeschoolers, as well!
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