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Michael's Diary Entries Diary Navigation: Choose A Diary Entry -------------------- Latest Entry: 8/28/00 -------------------- 8/21/00 8/14/00 8/7/00 8/1/00 7/24/00 7/17/00 7/10/00 7/3/00 6/26/00 6/19/00 6/12/00 6/5/00 5/29/00 5/22/00 5/14/00 -------------------- Michael's Introduction

August 1, 2000

Dear Readers,

One of our favorite places to visit is the local library. Even though I had regularly visited the library and had brought Brandon with me when he was little, I didn't realize until about a year ago how much the children's department offered even really young kids like mine.

Making Noise at the Library
Quiet. Whisper. Don't rustle the pages. Don't breathe too loudly. And don't wear squeaky shoes. Break these rules and feel the wrath of a librarian. You know, evil eyes glare into your soul while index finger points up across pursed lips, silently exclaiming, "Shhh, you noisy hooligan!" At an early age, I learned that a library was a quiet and serious place. For years, I followed the rules of quiescence: I selected books and checked them out, with barely a mumble and only an occasional stomach growl, if I drank a soda right before visiting. Soon enough, though, I learned to love the silence, the quiet and the buzz of the fluorescent lights.

About a year ago, my perception and my routine changed: I started taking my kids (Brandon now 3, Allison now 19 months) to the Children's Department at Woodridge Public Library. I now see through the library's serious, stoical facade to its silly, playful side. The Children's Department breaks all the adult rules. Merry-making, playing, laughing and wandering are allowed. Not only allowed, but also encouraged. The library is a perfect place for kids, even very young kids, and their parents.

For starters, I get to pick up some things for myself and feel good about myself for modeling an appreciation for lifelong learning. The only downside is that I have to do it quickly or else I'll get shushed in the presence of my kids. That would be embarrassing -- the family shusher getting shushed.

Then it's upstairs to the Children's Department where the fun really begins. At our local library, huge stuffed animals four- to five-feet tall decorate the room and almost never fail to cause Allison to call out their names: "Zeeeeebraaa! My zeeebra!" But it's OK to shout up here.

Brandon rushes to the play area where he finds three puzzle building stations, four baskets of stuffed animals and five baskets of board books all within his reach. We take full advantage of all of these items and often get the bonus of playing with other kids, whose parents want to get out of the house as much as I do.

The fun continues as my kids select items they want to take home, carefully choosing some videos and books, usually something by Thomas the Tank or Richard Scarry. Before leaving, I give the kids a lesson in responsibility and respect by making them put away all the things they played with. Actually, I feel sorry for the Children's Department librarians, thinking how many times they must have had to put together that tough turkey puzzle.

Lastly, as I check out downstairs, the kids play with the two end table-sized bead mazes, the lower level's hint of the fun contained above.

With a stack of books, tapes, CDs and videos,
Michael