The Library Project

I live in a house that is full of books, and I give credit to the homemaker: my mom. Last time, I shared with you some photos of our bookcases, but in case you missed it, here they are again:

Aside from the books in the bookshelves above, there are still many books in the kitchen (mostly recipe books) and more in my own bedroom (Christian books, my Bible, devotionals, Eraserheads paraphernalia - alin alin ang naiba - and magazines). Someday, when we finally settle into our own home (which might be sooner than I think, God-willing), I hope it will also be filled with a lot of books.

For now, my project is more localized. My 21-month old, Yuri, has already developed an interest in books. Predictably, this fueled my obsession in buying children's books, which led to the predicament: saan ko sila ilalagay? It's a good thing there was an unused bookshelf in the house, which is perfect for Yuri's height.

At first, every book had its own place.

However, the shelf quickly filled up last Christmas.

You might not see it, but the books were just crammed together. This is a problem because it doesn't attract the toddler; in other words, hindi nakaka-engganyo. 

The amount of books was quickly accumulating, and it has only been a month since I started buying books intentionally! Pano pa kaya in a few more months? Well, I asked for help from the ultimate domestic diva (my mom), and with her magic hands, Yuri's "library" turned into this:

Disclaimer lang, malakas ang backlight (as can be seen in the photo above), so I had to use flash. #defensive

The books are now separated and categorized! Don't worry; the inside of the cabinet is not filled with Yuri's books - yet.

My Reading Toddler

It's no secret: I want to raise a bookworm.

I'm not asking for a genius kid who always tops his classes - although that certainly wouldn't hurt, Lord! However, if I have to choose between a child who can memorize stuff in the blink of an eye and a curious child with an insatiable appetite for reading, I would very gladly choose the latter.

Growing up, I was known as the neighborhood bookworm. I was not the typical Filipino child who grew up in the streets. To be completely honest with you, I don't even know how to play certain Filipino games like patintero (try not to laugh and try not to cry). But I was a happy child in the company of my books.

In my childhood home, when I wasn't sleeping in my own room yet, my mom thoughtfully converted the spare room into a little library. It housed all the books I would read all day. Sure, I watched TV (a lot), but I remember being scolded for turning on the TV without really watching it. Yep, you guessed it. I was reading a book.

This time, I want Yuri to experience how it feels to be deeply engrossed in a story. I even dream about characters sometimes! To do that, I know I should raise him surrounded by books. It's a good thing we keep all the books and never give them away. Just take a look at these photos:

We even kept some of my childhood story books:

I admit I haven't been so vigilant about building a literature-rich environment for Yuri before he became a toddler. I did not maintain regular reading time. However, I am starting now. I think it's not too late as Yuri is still 20 months old. I spotted an old shelf we had that only housed boxed DVD sets. We got them all out and placed Yuri's books in it:

We only have a few books for now:

There are only a few books now, and most of them are hand-me-downs. Some of them are my sister's old books, and some were my old board books. Yes, my own board books survived the years, thanks to my mother. Pero wag kayo. We have around 20 books waiting to be opened come Christmas Day. Thanks, Daddy! I'm so excited to fill the shelves with them!

I want to raise a reader, a bookworm. I hate clutter, give me this mess any day:

How do you raise your children to love books?

_________________________________________________________________

Do you like this post? Never miss out again when you click on the cute bunny below:

Or by entering your email here:

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for daily updates on my mundane musings.