Tips for Visiting the Library with Little Ones

I've always heard that one should write what they know. Haven't you heard that? Well, this knowing has come by much trial and error, and frazzledness at the end of a trip to the library with my three little ones, ages 7, 4 and (almost) 2. I began to think of ways I could streamline our trips and make it so it didn't turn out to be a stress-filled frenzy where I crazily tried to manage the needs and desires of my three children and myself. I know it probably sounds melodramatic, but it can be that way sometimes! (Being outnumbered in public is no joke, people!)

Being homeschoolers (and avid readers), our regular library trip has been an important part of our week for a long time. We go at least once a week, if not more. We also have library cards at more than one library. (I know, I'm really asking for the crazy-making). ;-)

Whether you're getting ready for the Summer Reading Program, or you simply want to make visiting the library a regular (and stress-free) part of your week,  here are some tricks I've discovered that go a long way in keeping the weekly library trip an enjoyable experience for all of us!

Before you head out:

1. Make a list! Yep, Type-A's rejoice! Do you know what books you are after? Take a few minutes to write them down to keep your time searching focused. (I've learned the difficulty of the having my head tilted sideways and sometimes bending over looking for interesting, good quality books while trying to keep track of three little people, who are sometimes going in three different directions!) Get inspiration from lists like this one, or this one, or this one, if you don't know where to start! Which leads me to my next tip...
2. Utilize your library's website! You can search online to find out if a book or other item is currently available. You can also place a request for the item if you know you need it and can't get there right away, and the library staff or a volunteer will retrieve it and put it aside for you. Some libraries even offer a mobile app. See if your library does! Oh, and two words: interlibrary loan! You probably can't go to ALL the libraries, but they can come to you! Sometimes other libraries in your county will have an important book that you need and your local library can borrow it from them for you. There is usually a wait of a few days, but it's totally worth it to not have to drive across your county (or city, in some cases) to get a certain book.
3. Collect any items that you've borrowed during previous trips. If your child has gotten their own books, they can gather what they checked out and place them in a reusable bag (I don't recommend grocery bags because books have pointy corners that like to poke holes in grocery bags). Everyone can carry their own stuff to the car.

At the library:

1. At the book return, each child can practice putting their own books in the slot (except for maybe the ones who can't reach yet- but at least seeing their older siblings do it will make them want to do it later on, and create that expectation that they will eventually take on this task).
2. Each child that is able can grab a basket to carry their selections around the library. This is one I just recently discovered, and my littles are loving it! Our library has the same little hand baskets that you see in grocery stores. If yours doesn't, maybe they can collect their books in the reusable bag they brought. I like that they use the baskets because they each keep their materials separate, and it also deters them from getting more items than they can carry- which means fewer items to keep track of at home. It's a win-win. Plus I don't have to carry everything! Yay!
3. Get them their own card. The rule of thumb that has worked for us so far, is if the child can read independently, then they can have their own card. Our library has no age limit, so it's up to the parents to make that call. Of course, we are still financially responsible, but we haven't had too many charges on their cards. Once, when my son neglected to take care of a book, he got charged for it. I had him roll coins to pay the fee. I don't know if this really made an impact on him or not, but we haven't really had any issues since.
4. When wrapping up your library adventure, each child can bring the items they wish to borrow to the checkout desk. (We have self-checkout kiosks, and you might like to take advantage of that option, but I really like the opportunity afforded to my little ones to practice their people skills while they check out their materials.) They get their items checked out, put the borrowed things in their bags and carry their own stuff to the car, and back inside the house.

At Home:

1. Find a special location for borrowed library items. We have a rule that library items are not kept in bedrooms. It's way too easy for something to get lost under a bed or in a closet or under a pile of clothes or something. That was a hard-learned lesson after spending 45 minutes looking for a board book. Ain't nobody got time for that! Keep library books on a designated shelf or in a basket in a main living area in your home. Trust me! It's so worth creating this habit. This is a good way to prevent damaged items too!
2. Make a plan to visit the library again very soon! Most libraries allow items to be out for three weeks, but why wait that long? Set a day each week when you will visit. Tuesday has become our day to visit our local library. Sometimes we visit for various events on another day of the week, but we usually don't return or check out books on that day, just to keep things simple. 

Most important: have fun! Children love visiting the library, and it's one of the best places to go when it's too hot to play outside. And it's FREE! You never know what awesome resources you will discover when you visit. Happy reading!

What tips would you add that have helped you have a pleasant library experience? Tell me in a comment!

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Fun Read Aloud Chapter Books for Young Children

Did you know that this week is Children's Book Week? I didn't (until this morning), so it's by happy little coincidence that I'm writing this blog post (that I started working on last night). :-)

In our house, we love books! Oddly enough, we have never really developed the habit of bedtime story reading with our children until now. I have an almost seven year old, and a four-and-a-half year old (plus a toddler; who's NOT yet reading) who are both independent readers. So, aside from our school time reading together, the majority of their reading is solo. Enter chapter books! They don't yet read longer, more involved material by themselves, so it has been a wonderful way for me to bond with my big littles, and a way for me to get to read some classics that I somehow didn't get around to reading as a child. It's a win-win!

We started reading a chapter at bedtime most nights. There were times when we fell out of the habit of reading at night when dinner was served too late too many nights in a row, but for the most part, it has been a habit we've come to really look forward to.

Here is a list of the books we've covered so far this school year, and brief(ish) thoughts about what we liked (and didn't quite like) about them!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- This is one classic on this list that I actually read (and more than once at that) during my childhood. I always dreamt of visiting the chocolate factory, and this did not fail to inspire chocolatey dreams in my offspring, either. It was easy to read, because we were eager to see what happened next. Would little Charlie Bucket find a coveted Golden Ticket? Oh, the suspense! ;-) (There is some mild language in this one- but if I remember right, it's of the donkey-inspired variety).

James and the Giant Peach- We liked this one too, but the book about Charlie is still the favored of author Roald Dahl in our collective opinion. I wasn't a fan of James' aunts or the manner in which he came to live with them (parents were eaten by a rhinoceros or something). I felt that it was a tad brutal (okay, a lot of Dahl's stories include things along these lines, to be fair), but the children didn't seem to get caught up on it (probably due to the ridiculousness of being eaten by a wild animal on a city street), though I may have purposely raced past that part! (Ditto on the language- I actually don't remember what but just be warned that it's there!)

Winnie the Pooh- Oh, my! What a wonderful book. It was equally pleasing to my six year old boy and four year old girl. They of course were already familiar with the characters in the book because of the Disney movie adaptation, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, but it did not fail to delight them in any way. That "silly old bear of very little brain" is even more endearing to me in print than he is on screen, and you get to see even more of the sweet and silly machinations of his fluffy brain in the book.

The House at Pooh Corner- More Pooh songs and delightful interactions between these beloved characters. It's a must-read if you like the first one (I should say if you've read the first one- of course you liked it). I love the humor and wit that AA Milne weaves through these stories. And we all loved getting to know these friends even more. Consider yourself warned, though, I teared up at the end!

Little Britches- While I really liked this story, it was definitely a challenge to get through! I think the material was a bit mature for my children, and a semi-tedious book for a four and six year old to sit through, but they still enjoyed it quite a bit despite this (I should note that it was not located in the children's section of the library- also, there are some instances of swearing in this book, but was easy enough to substitute "darn" for " !@#$%^&*" and stuff like that.) I had come across this title in a thread about chapter books somewhere on Facebook. I think it was recommended to someone who was looking for a book similar to Little House on the Prairie books, but for boys. It was definitely that, but a little later chronologically. What I really liked about it, personally, was that it kind of gave me a glimpse of what life was like for of one of my great-grandfathers. He actually lived in this area around the time set in the book (1906). Anyway, there are lots of character-building lessons in this story, but admittedly, many of them were kind of over the heads of my babies at the time. Needless to say, this one might be a good one to save for your older littles.

Pippi Longstocking- Oh, Pippi! How we loved your amusing antics. I remember watching Pippi Longstocking on television as a child, but never really read the book. She appeals so much to my unconventional side, and I really appreciate how she boldly "lives her truth". Ha. True, some probably won't appreciate the trouble she gets into, but it also can open up a dialog with your children of why certain behavior probably isn't a good idea or very realistic. Still, there were plenty of laughs while we read this book- and the children were definitely captivated by Pippi and her adventures.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle- This favorite by Beverly Cleary was fun for us to read. The children especially enjoyed the sound effects (enthusiastically provided by yours truly). Ralph is certainly a charming character, and I think we can all relate to his story! (I also appreciate some of the questions that came up because of the time period of this book...like, "Mom, what is aspirin?" Ha ha!)

Mary Poppins- I almost didn't start reading this book to the children because of some of the mixed reviews I read. Actually, we are not quite finished with it, so hopefully we don't run into any of the negative things people have said about this. Most of them being related to Mary's attitude- they found her to be mean and nasty in some parts. Well, she's definitely not like the character in the movie version of the book, but mean and nasty? Not really (in my opinion)- especially after seeing shows like Super Nanny, it's easy to see that British nannies commonly take a no-nonsense approach (unless that's just a made-for-TV stereotype) and Mary Poppins would naturally NOT be the "Spoonful of Sugar" offering peach of a caretaker as portrayed in the Disney movie. They have many adventures, for sure, and it's really a fun read for the children and I (at least so far- I hope I don't run into any zingers in the last couple chapters!)

What are some of your favorite chapter books for kids?

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MacLarry and the Stinky Cheese Battle- A Review!

Recently, we had the opportunity to watch and review the latest release from VeggieTales, MacLarry and the Stinky Cheese Battle (out today!) I'll start off by saying that I've been a big fan of VeggieTales ever since I heard Mr Lunt crooning about a cheeseburger, so you won't see much of a critical review here. If you're looking for that, I'll give you my mother in law's phone number! Just kidding. ;-) (But seriously, I don't know anyone else who says things like "how is he putting the quarter in that thing {said of King George trying to get a glimpse of the forbidden ducky through the coin operated viewer}?! Nobody in this show has any arms or hands!" (Never a dull moment while watching television with that one. Ahem!)

"MacSon" and "MacDaughter" really had a great time watching MacLarry and the Stinky Cheese Battle, while "MacMommy" watched along and tended to "MacToddler". "MacGrammy" came to visit toward the end of the movie, and she enjoyed what she saw as well (shh, don't tell her I said that!) I have to wonder if we are the only ones who underwent name-changes after this movie (ie MacBob and MacLarry, MacTunia). I think it is particularly telling that "MacSon" used one of his "Mac-TV tokens" to watch MacLarry the next day. With their downloadable coloring and activity sheets, this would also make a great MacChildren's Ministry lesson too! (I'm going to have to keep that in mind next time I'm asked to help out.)

MacLarry and the Stinky Cheese Battle and some popcorn (of the non-cheese variety). 

Review time! MacLarry is the son of Chog Norrius, a revered Scottish warrior who happens to be in the middle of a seemingly permanent battle with the Romans. Pranks abound in this tale, with the Scots being "Barber-barians" who seek out opportunities to administer bad hair cuts to their Roman enemies. Enter MacLarry. His father supposes that he will follow suit and become a Barber-barian as well, but MacLarry's heart longs to invent things. In my opinion, he might have actually "made the cut" if his father allowed him to try his Flowbee-like invention to give an acceptable bad haircut during his test. MacLarry fails to deliver yet again and just can't seem to fit in, and ends up leaving on a journey to meet and become apprentice to an inventor hero of his.

MacLarry's plans go awry and he ends up in the hands of his enemy, meanwhile Chog Norrius and the other Scots are on a mission to find the Cheese of Attila to force the Romans to finally call a truce. Long (ish) story short, both sides are threatened by the stinky cheese and MacLarry and his inventive mind save the day!

What I especially like about this video:

References to real places- As a homeschooler, I embrace any opportunity to teach my children about the world they live in. Every time we see a real-life place mentioned on screen or in a book, I show them where it is located on a giant map of the world in our living room. As a result, my six year old is aware that Downton Abbey and Call the Midwife (a couple of my current favorite shows) take place in England (parenting win, I say!), as well as the fact that much of the literature we've read lately comes from that area too. I'm sure "MacSon" will be delighted to realize that MacLarry and friends inhabit the same big island as Winnie the Pooh, and James and his giant peach and other literary friends (as well as some of mommy's fictional friends.) Rome and Greece are referenced as well (though not quite accurately location-wise).

References to scientific stuff- MacLarry's passion for inventions leads him to talk about simple machines like levers- things my children have already been exposed to from other sources. I think that they will enjoy seeing them in action elsewhere. MacLarry uses his science smarts to ultimately bring peace to the people.

Laughs for the grown-ups- Seriously? Chog Norrius? Though I will say I was really expecting them to take this joke a little further. That would've been so awesome! The Flock of Seagulls hair cut given to one of the Romans during a raid amuses my inner 80's child. There's a lot more, but you have to watch!

Relatability to real life- How many times in the Body of Christ have any of us felt that our gifts were of little value? We feel that we are urged to act or look a certain way, and feel like we should conform to the "standard". This story shows us the importance of having differing gifts. One never knows when your difference ministers to someone and wins them to Jesus (and that's the ultimate goal for any Christian, right?) MacLarry and the Stinky Cheese Battle says to little ones and big ones alike "be who God made you to be! You have a purpose in the Body of Christ, and it may not look like what everyone else is doing- and appreciate the differences in others!" While I relate a little more to an underdog like MacLarry than the other characters, I'm also challenged to value the strengths of those who are not like me- we all have our place. I think this movie will help children to cherish their emerging gifts and talents and unique personalities, as well as those of other people.

What could be improved on:

Seriously, more Chog Norrius jokes- the end.

This movie is definitely one that you should consider adding to your collection. It is funny and encouraging and entertaining. But I've come to expect that from VeggieTales!

*Disclosure: I was provided with a free copy of this DVD, but all opinions are my own, and no other compensation was received.*

And the Winner Is...

I'm excited to announce the winner of my very first giveaway for The Slug and Ant Show DVD!

{Drumroll}

Out of nine total entries, number 8 was chosen by random.org (the seventh entry counted as two because it was shared on Facebook twice- in case you're wondering! ;-D)

That means Emily is our winner! (Contact me in the next couple of days so I can send the DVD your way!)

And for those that didn't win, you can find The Slug and Ant Show for sale here!

Stay tuned for more updates about their awesome show!

Review and Giveaway: The Slug and Ant Show

And now...for the sake of a balanced approach to screen usage, my very first review and giveaway!

It was about a year ago when my family first saw The Slug and Ant Show featured on TBN's Smile of a Child station. Immediately, I knew this program was different. And by different, I mean entertaining! I hope this doesn't come off as mean-spirited, but I feel like as a Body (as in the Body of Christ) we could do a much better job of creating high-quality, godly children's programming. I am convinced that the show's creator, Michael K. Foster, is on a mission to do just that!

Of course I was thrilled at the opportunity to review The Slug and Ant Show's first DVD (which was actually released about a year ago...they will be releasing a follow up DVD in the very near future, I hear!) I really want to promote this program as well as any future children's programs produced by Salty Graphic Studio. The condensed version: You should go check them out!

Be sure to enter the giveaway (details at the end) after you read the review!

. . .

Slug and Ant are (as the DVD cover says) "best friends sharing God's love." And that they do. As a parent, I appreciate the obvious display of Biblically-based values. The show portrays a group of friends; Slug, Ant, Beetle, Spider and Fly who like to skateboard, play hoopty-hoop, and play alternative-sounding music together (hee hee). They don't always get it right the first time, but their hearts are right!

Each episode illustrates a conflict between the friends. For example, in the first, "Don't Judge a Fly by One Wing," Slug, Ant, Beetle and Spider meet the new guy, Fly. Let's just say he's different. The group forms all kinds of outlandish assumptions about him based on his appearance, until they run into their bow-tied, spectacled Sunday school teacher, Mr. Bumble. Mr. Bumble is the voice of reason and truth throughout every episode of The Slug and Ant Show. There is even a segment called "Bible Time with Mr. Bumble" where Mr. Bumble (a bee, of course) shares a Bible lesson with the audience. He shares the Word of God with the friends, and they form their own conclusion about how to handle the situation. Each episode also features a music video presenting the cast of characters and a catchy, upbeat song that even parents will appreciate.

Being geared toward preschoolers, it was a wise move to make the episodes short and sweet. After all, the show's viewers are likely to have about the same attention span as one of the characters would in real life! This could be enjoyed at home, or it could even be a fitting series to base your preschool church curriculum on (they even have coloring pages and character cut-outs available on their site). It has all the elements to open the door to simple discussion about how God wants us to live and treat others. Such themes as judging others, sharing, and telling the truth are sure to speak to the hearts of the little ones in your life.

Would you like to win a copy of the Slug and Ant Show Volume 1? There are a few easy ways to enter!

• Leave a comment and let me know why you'd like a copy of The Slug and Ant Show DVD (this one's required- and make sure you leave an email address so I can reach you if you win!)
• Follow the Slug and Ant Show on Facebook (come back and leave a separate comment letting me know you did!)
• Share this review/giveaway on Facebook or Twitter, or both (again, come back and let me know you did!)

The giveaway will end on Thursday, and I will announce a winner on Friday! Happy entering!

Highlights from our Screen-Free Week

So, I'm officially back online! Did you participate in Screen Free Week?

Don't worry, I took plenty of notes (almost a week's worth, in fact) on my observations from our five days "unplugged". I will share them here, since I don't want anyone to feel left out, plus I know you all are wondering what in the world we did without television or computer, right?

How we participated:

We started out with the intention of going an entire week without television time. I would check email briefly once or twice a day, just in case something important came through and the sender was not aware of me being offline. My husband still did his online work, but if we were home, he went to the library, or if he had work to do, I would take the children out of the house. He agreed to not play games or engage in other non-work related computer activities.

How did we do?

Well, I shortened our SFW to five days instead of seven (see Thursday). I went on Facebook a couple of times to check on a family member and a friend who were both dealing with health challenges, and I needed to stay updated. But I went directly to their walls to check for updates, and did not read other people's statuses. (By the way, I'm happy to report that my family member is fine, and the friend is improving).

Thursday evening, when a friend from church came over with her children, I decided to allow them to watch a video after they got bored playing in the room so that we could actually engage in adult conversation! (Five children, four and under- I needed the help! Lol!)

Oh, and I gotta tell on my husband, who apparently forgot that we were screen-free when he played a video game at Skateland (during an event that was a part of SFW. Oh my. Just sayin'. ;-D)

What we did:

The first day (Monday) was pretty eventful. After a morning spent reading, cuddling, and playing with the children (going on 4 and 18 months), I took my son out for a couple hours to the library and then to the park while my daughter (the younger one) was napping. While we were out, we toured our city's multi-generational center (think YMCA) and discovered many interesting programs and activities. That evening, we went to Skateland where my son skated for the very first time. (They were participating in SFW and offered free admission to families who signed the Screen-Free pledge).

After all the excitement of Monday, we pretty much stayed home all day on Tuesday. I got up early to get some exercise (I think I can say that it's literally been years since I've been motivated enough to exercise! Oh my!) Later, my body rebelled by being exhausted by about 10 am! What's up with that?! Again, we read lots of books with the children, and played with flash cards, some toys,and I blew bubbles for them. It really was not very eventful, but that was okay!

Finding new uses for toys- a great source of entertainment! (It's a tuba, in case you wondered!)

On Wednesday, I did manage to get a few things done that I had been putting off for a while! I think the children were finally getting used to the idea of occupying themselves without the television, and played in their room quite a bit. Otherwise, they pretty much followed me around while I worked on stuff around the house. They would play near me, and I would often take mini-breaks to play with them. I came across a pack of balloons, and blew several of them up to play with. They enjoyed that! It didn't occupy them for very long, but they still liked it. That evening, we went to our Wednesday evening church service. By the time that rolled around, we were ready to get out of the house!

Before SFW, this was still half covered in boxes from the move, now it's a functional place for our family to eat dinner! (I'm not really sure why this picture is all "choppy" or whatever that is).

On Thursday, I decided that we would cut our SFW down to five days instead of seven. I'm weak! Ha ha! (I may or may not have been influenced by my son's DAILY question "is Screen-Free Week over yet?) Anyway, I was up early again to exercise. I took a walk around our neighborhood, and enjoyed the sights and sounds of our area. Some nearby neighbors have goats (did I ever mention we kind of live in the boonies?) and I think I may have heard some kind of large bird, I'm pretty sure it was a peacock. And of course there were plenty of dogs, and some neighbors even have horses. I guess I kind of live in a diverse neighborhood, because our street is apartments, and then the streets near us are homes with a lot of land. 

That evening, a friend from church came over with her little ones and we discussed a book we're reading together, The Surrendered Wife (pretty awesome so far if you want to check it out). Our children played together for a little while, and then they got kind of restless, so we let them watch a movie so we could continue our discussion. (I had decided ahead of time that I would make this exception if they were "bouncing off the walls!")

Friday morning, I was up and out of the house to meet up with this sweet person for coffee. She is just as nice in person as she is on her blog, just in case you're wondering! When I got home, my mother in law came over to use our computer, and we had a maintenance worker over to fix our ceiling fans (hooray!) Then after all that was finished, I took the children to the library again. So, more book reading. Books are a very big thing for us, I guess, and we read even more when the TV is off! That evening, I got to go to the store by myself to pick up a few things we needed for Easter.

What I learned:

I want a yard! I really would love to have one! We live in an upstairs apartment, and we don't even have a small patio any more like we did in our last apartment. And downstairs, it's just parking, and there's no place within walking distance for the little ones to play outside. Our neighborhood being semi-rural, only has sidewalks right in front of residences, so even taking them for a walk is challenging. (Have you ever tried to push a stroller in gravel? Hmm...) Anyway, the hardest part for me (at least initially) was finding things they could do independently. I would love to have a yard so they could have a safe place to play while I catch up on housework and stuff.

Too much screen-time can be toxic! I think right about day two is when we kind of experienced screen withdrawal! It was pretty awful! Right around 1:00 p.m., I really had this overwhelming urge to turn the television on for the children. I may have also gotten really frustrated with things in general. Thankfully, I refrained from giving up and managed to push through, but wow, that was really challenging for a little bit!

The internet is a HUGE time-waster for me! Okay, well I guess I pretty much already figured this, but it was so evident during SFW. Being "unplugged" I was much more quick to make a decision to do good things! I was motivated to stay busy with housework, and as I mentioned above, I even exercised for the first (and second) time in a very long time!

It's actually pretty easy for children to be occupied (and to occupy themselves) without a screen. Aside from the no-yard thing, they adapt pretty easily to life without a screen. Even as I type this (and our screen time has resumed), they are playing quietly together in their room. They enjoy things like reading books, playing with their toys, blowing bubbles, playing with balloons, coloring, playing at the park, dancing to music on the radio, and more! They might not stay focused on any one activity for a very long time, but they are both under four years of age, so that is completely appropriate! (Being in a zombie-like trance while staring at the TV for hours on end, however is not so appropriate for any age!)

See? Everyone was still okay without screen time!

Photo's blurry, but she's clearly having a good time!

I really need to brush up on my parenting skills! This past week, I was confronted with the fact that I'm a little rusty with actually engaging with my children. I often use a screen as a baby-sitter in a sense while I'm doing housework and of course using the computer! While I think that has a place (like when mama needs a shower, or a quiet moment to herself) it should not be the norm! I definitely need to be more disciplined myself, and be more purposeful about our screen usage.

Going Forward:

I loved the decisiveness to do good things that I adopted during SFW. It is now easier to overcome the temptation to stay on the computer a lot. I will be more purposeful about my computer usage- and not go on immediately in the morning. I plan to continue getting up early to get some exercise on a regular basis. (See Maximize Your Mornings for where I got some inspiration).

We are now limiting television and computer time for our children (mostly our son- as our daughter doesn't really care yet!) For the past two days, when our son asks for computer time (he likes to play some of the games on PBSkids.org and a few other things), we have set a timer for 30 minutes. He has resisted getting off so quickly (compared to before) but he's fine once he finds another activity to pursue. I'm still working on how we will limit television and/or video time. (I'm open to suggestions if you have any!) We may adopt a screen-free day once or twice a month (or maybe once a week?)

It was good for our family to participate in SFW. Like anything else, computer or television time can become an idol and something that you just pay way too much attention to! It was a way for us to reconnect with each other, it brought out some things we need to deal with, and it helped us to become more disciplined with our screen time!

What did you learn from Screen-Free Week? Share in the comments if you participated!

Screen-Free Week: Are You In?

SCREEN-FREE WEEK is Proudly Endorsed by the Media Education Foundation from Media Education Foundation on Vimeo.

We are.

Screen-Free Week is happening this year from April 18^th -24^th.

Screen-Free Week is presented by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, an organization that I've been following for a couple of years now.

The purpose of Screen-Free Week is to turn off the screens (televisions, computers- *Gulp*) and to turn on life.

I know we watch way too much television in our home, and spend way too much time online, and not enough time interacting with each other and our world.

So what are some things I plan to do while the screens are off?

• Interact with my children more
• Spend more quality time with my husband
• Read books!
• Get outside
• Visit local parks
• Connect with friends, new and old
• Work on educational endeavors with my children
• Clean house
• I'm sure I will think of more!

I sort of wish it was longer than a week!

Here are just a few interesting (and startling) facts about screen use in the U.S.

• On average, preschool children spend 32 hours a week with screen media. (You know what? Sadly, this is about accurate in our home!)
• On average, preschool children see nearly 25,000 television commercials, a figure that does not include product placement. (Scary!)
• The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for children under 2, and less than 2 hours per day for older children.
• Find more facts here.

We actually participated in this last year, and it was awesome! It wasn't very difficult to just pull the plug on the TV. We did other things! And it was fun! We ended up going a total of 8 days, only because I planned to leave it off as long as my son didn't ask to watch. 

This year, the CCFC has listed organizations that have signed up to participate. Our local skating rink is offering free admission on one of the days to families that sign the screen-free pledge. How cool is that? I've been wanting to take my son skating- I think he would have a ton of fun! It's awesome what you can come up with when you think outside the "box".

Now don't get me wrong, I don't think that television is inherently bad or wrong, but I do think that screens are too much a part of our lives. I want to be able to teach my children how to occupy themselves without media overload.

So who is with me? Will you commit to going Screen-Free for a whole week? What are your thoughts about television and computer usage in your home? Do you purposefully limit your screen time? Let me know in the comments!

Five Great Reasons to Visit Your Local Library

Do you guys remember this commercial??? Pure awesomeness! The song got stuck in my head while I was writing this! :)

1. Free Resources- From books, to DVD's and CD's, to computer usage, most of the resources at the library are free! We have started making the library a weekly trip. We get all kinds of movies and children's books (and books for me, of course!) There is no cost involved in getting a library card- unless of course you aren't a resident of that city. Watch out for fines, though. They usually are minimal, but they can add up- especially for items like movies and music- those late fines are usually higher than books. (Some libraries raised the cost of fines to increase their revenue in the struggling economy).
2. Children's Programs- Things like story time, and even school-readiness programs can be found in the children's area at your library. Plus many have puzzles, and other toys to engage your child. You can sit and read a book or magazine yourself while your little one is playing with the toys or perusing the children's books (just a thought). Two nearby libraries that I've visited have small semi-enclosed areas for preschoolers complete with board books, puzzles and other activities for little ones to engage in. Maybe they have something like that in your area, too!
3. Volunteer Opportunities- Due to the economy, many libraries are desperate for help. Whether it's an hour a week, or a couple hours a month, I'm almost certain your local library can utilize your skills somehow! (Expect to be fingerprinted and background checked.)
4. New Friends- Guess where all (okay, maybe not all- but many) of the other moms with little ones in tow go to get out of the house? You guessed it, the library! Check out story times, or if you just want to connect with grown-ups, check out a book club, or even see about forming your own if you don't find one of interest!
5. Exposure to New Things- Just today, the children and I participated in an activity at the library that gave me some new ideas to try at home. Plus, the more I bring them to the library, the more their eyes are opened to new topics to read about. As we're walking down the aisles of books, my son says, "Mom! Look at all the books!" There are so many novel (har har) things out there that can pique their interest and get them (and you, too!) excited about learning and doing.

Have you visited your library lately?

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