The Library

I appreciate our library’s efforts to make itself child-friendly, from the buckets of Legos and train sets to the oversized stuffed animals and bean bag chairs.  I am especially grateful that the librarians aren’t concerned about the noise level in the children’s area.  But I sometimes wonder if making the library into a free-for-all play zone has its drawbacks.  After all, my girls now associate it with toys, not books.  When we went there this afternoon, I kept waving different books in their faces in an attempt to remind them that we are at a library after all, but they just ignored my eager selections and dove back into the Legos. 

Every once in a while, they would acquiesce to at least hold a book in their hands (along with a handful of other items), if not crack it open.

But overall, I suppose I’m glad that the girls have such positive associations with going to the library.  They view it as a place of enjoyment, rather than stuffy boredom.  Time will tell whether the girls will transfer their excitement from the toy bin to the bookshelf.  In the meantime, we’ll just enjoy the fun!