When I had three kids, four and under, I learned about Charlotte Mason and her principle of spreading a wide feast of ideas. Practically, this looks like 20 different subjects in a Charlotte Mason classroom that get covered during the week.
Before we were in the formal school years, I got into the habit of discovering where all the different sections of books were at the library so I could just walk the shelves and grab some that covered a wide range of ideas without any preplanning. For years, we have had this system in place that has provided an educational cushion through all the ups and downs in our lives and given our kids a lot of learning in a very natural way.
For years, we have had this system in place that has provided an educational cushion through all the ups and downs in our lives and given our kids a lot of learning in a very natural way. I also supplement by putting books on hold at the library that deep-dive into what my kids want to learn more about so that I’m not hunting for specific books once we get there.
In this week’s episode, I’m sharing practical tips for not losing the library books and keeping free books free, bringing some great books into your home, and some of our recent favorites.
How we avoid fines and the library to keep our books free:
We moved all our personal books upstairs to a home library and have a separate bookshelf downstairs for the library books to create separation.
We have ONE library card, so we don’t lose track of the books we have checked out, what’s on hold, and what we have to return.
We try to get to the library on the same day every week so that we don’t have many different due dates to keep track of.
I try and go to our library account after we get home from the library to renew any books that we might have missed returning.
We have a library book bag that holds between 20-30 books, which creates some margin.
Recent Library Book Favorites That Were So Good We Would By Them
Professor Wooford McPaw’s History of Astronomy
Papa is A Poet A Story about Robert Frost
The Planet Hunter: The Story Behind What Happened to Pluto
Nothing Stopped Sophie: The Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain
Hawk Rising
Send a Girl!: The True Story of How Women Joined the FDNY
Find Me! Adventures in the Forest
The Apartment: A Century of Russian History
Under Your Feet... Soil, Sand and Everything Underground
Charles Dickens (Little People, Big Dreams)
A Walk in London
Cooking Class Global Feast!: 44 Recipes That Celebrate the World’s Cultures
I used the Thriving in Motherhood Journal for 30 Days - What I Discovered [Episode 316]
Goals vs Projects vs Habits in the Thriving in Motherhood Planner [Episode 315]
My Number 1 Priority For Cleaning My Home [Episode 314]
Embracing the Struggle and Adventure of International Travel with Kids with Synthia Simonsen [Episode 312]
Discover Your True Priorities with 3 Questions [Episode 311]
Figure Out What to Do Next When You Have A Lot to Do | After the Brain Dump [Episode 310]
Reflection and Travel Tips From a Family Road Trip + 5 Day Hotel Stay [Episode 309]
Overwhelmed? Write a "Yes" List [Episode 308]
The Power of a Do Something List with Monica Packer [Episode 307]
3 Thriving Thoughts For Hard Days [Episode 306]
Creating Rooms You Love with Myquillyn Smith [Episode 305]
7 Steps To Plan Your Meals for the Week | Meal Planning [Episode 304]
6 Great Books I Read In January [Episode 303]
11 Ways To Prepare for a Difficult Pregnancy [Episode 302]
A Guide to Getting Started With Children's Audiobooks [Episode 301]
My Vision for 2024 [Episode 300]
Goal Planning Guide for Different Seasons of Motherhood [Episode 299]
Digital Minimalism 2024 | How to Use Your Phone Less [Episode 298]
Setting up a weekly schedule/rhythm | Ideal Week Walkthrough [Episode 297]
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