Ten Good Reasons to Take Your Child to the Library

1) The library is a great place to “shop” for books before you make a permanent investment. Of the five or ten books you take home, you child will have a few favorites. These would be great ones to own! Buy them or put them on your wish list for birthdays and other gifting occasions.

2) Most libraries schedule story times, even for infants and toddlers. These are great opportunities to practice “school skills” like sitting in a circle and sharing an adult (whoever is reading to the kids) with a number of other children.

3) You can often find music experiences at the library, either as part of story time or as a separate offering. Singing music in a group is a unique interactive experience, very different from listening to music on a device. Singing, in addition to being pleasurable for kids, introduces them to rhyme and rhythm, both of which help them learn to read later.

4) You will get to know the children's librarian, who is a great ally. He or she will help you satisfy your child's curiosity while expanding interests.

5) Some libraries have volunteer “grandparents” on hand during scheduled times. This provides cross-generational contact, especially valuable for kids whose own grandparents aren't nearby.

6) The library is a great place to donate books your child has outgrown. Libraries hold book sales where you can get great deals on used books. Proceeds from the sale augment the library's budget for acquiring wonderful new books.

7) Kids meet other kids in their age group at the library.

8) Parents meet other like-minded parents at the library.

9) Library visits often get extended to park visits or a stop for lunch. These impromptu playdates enrich kids' social life and strengthen ties with other families.

10) Libraries are open even when the weather is bad and you can't go to the beach, enjoy the park or take a walk.

My daughter Sarah Walsh, who is a children's librarian, helped me with this list. Thank you Sarah! As a veteran of many storytimes (both as a provider and as the parent of a toddler) she asked me to add one final note: If you are participating in a structured library program with your child, be sure to give the librarian your full attention. Sure, you already know that Max gets back from where the wild things are and ends up in his very own room, but that's not the point. The point is that you model curious, attentive, engaged behavior. Your child's future teachers will thank you!

"I Don't Know"

Starting around age three or 4, kids start asking questions. Lots and lots and lots of questions. So many questions that you think you may go quite mad. So many questions that you may want to shriek “Because!” or “Don't ask me that again!” or even “Go away!”

Maybe the hardest questions are the ones you don't know the answer to. Questions like “Why can't we stay at the park?” or “Where are my shoes?” are annoying, especially after multiple go-rounds, but at least you know the answer! A question like “Why do some of the flowers grow back each year and other ones you have to plant again and again?” would catch me off guard. (For the sake of a fair discussion, I just posed a question I don't know the answer to.) I could show off and say “Because some flowers are perennials and some are annuals,” but I wouldn't really be answering the question. The question is about why there are perennials and annuals, and how they behave differently.

I's perfectly OK to say “I don't know,” with one caveat – that you follow it up with “Let's find out.” Every kid is a fountain of natural curiosity, and you nurture that curiosity not by always providing pat, accurate answers but by demonstrating that his curiosity delights you. You're not the encyclopedia – you're his research partner.

An obvious first step is the internet. But don't let it stop there. Make time for a trip to the library. The children's librarian is your great friend and ally, a valuable member of the research team. He or she will remember that Blair is into butterflies and that Ruthie loves gymnastics. That librarian will not only help you slake their thirst for information about pet topics, but will also tend to the expansion of their interests.

Another wonderful resource is all the people you know – family, friends and neighbors. Maybe when you're on a family walk, you could ask that retired guy down the street who's always puttering in his garden.. Or you and your child could ask Aunt Kate next time you are Skyping with her. Someone you already know might be able to solve the mystery of the perennials and the annuals. In all likelihood, that person will be delighted to help. And your child will see him or her in a new light.

So it's perfectly OK to say I don't know. It shows that you're honest, self-aware and humble. All of this is good modeling. Add to that “Let's find out” and you demonstrate that you are curious, open-minded and resourceful. That's pretty good modeling too!