© Yali Shi
Even before we started our family, my husband I used to spend time at the library together. We started while we were in high school and continued through college. And when our first child came along, we signed him up for the Mommy & Me classes as soon as he was of age. Our patronage of the library has gone through ebbs & flows, mirroring our life’s inevitable changes, but our love of it has always remained. Our family really enjoys the library and we make it a point to go at least once a week now.
Its hard to imagine that we went through periods of time when we didnt go at all! Shameful, I know. We were working, the kids had school & homework & activities & therapies. The library was just one more place we had to be, another responsibility, and another thing that mommy had to keep track of. Trying to squeeze a trip to the library into our already busy schedule, rushing the kids to pick out what they wanted to borrow, and keeping an eye on the clock. Then there was the guilt that came with not having the time to actually read the books before they were due to go back, misplacing the books amongst the chaos of our daily life, forgetting the due dates, and the fees that we owed for our late returns. I think what happened was that it eventually became more of a burden than anything else, and it was easier to just stop going altogether.
Thankfully, that level of chaos is no longer the status quo. The peace and tranquility that has taken its place was intentionally designed. And now, as I sit here to write this post, I realize that our current library routine is just one of the benefits we’re reaping from our Voluntary Simplicity. Instead of the above scenario, we now arrive and depart when we’re all ready, and take our time to enjoy all that the library has to offer. And it has once again become something that we look forward to doing as a family.
Bear reading a Diego book.
Bear naming the animals.
Goodle super excited that he found a Star Wars book.
Sparkle trying to narrow it down to her 3 favorite.
Being active and responsible patrons of your Local Library is simplicity, frugality and an eco-mentality at its best.
- Click here to find your local library.
- Why You Should Read Aloud to Older Kids by Steady Mom
- Choosing Good Books for Your Children by Simple Homeschool
- Kids and Libraries by Dr. Rick’s Blog
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I picked up the June program book last week but haven’t had a chance to look at it yet. I’ll let you know if we’re signing up for anything.
OK- great! Can’t wait!