When I found out that I was pregnant with my first child I was ecstatic. We felt so ready to start our family and I was anxious to begin preparations for welcoming our little bundle into our home. The first big shopping spree I went on for my baby when I was pregnant was for books. That’s right, books. To me they were just as exciting to purchase as all the other necessary baby items, and held their own important place in the list of things my baby would need. I wanted so much to instill a love of reading and books in my children and I knew that such a love begins young. Below I’m sharing some tips I picked up curating my baby’s first library in the hopes it will help you prepare for your little bookworms.
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Check Your Local “Dollar Store”
I wanted a lot of books for my soon-t0-be bookworm to look through and a bunch of options for story time each night. However, because we had a baby on the way our budget was not the biggest. When I was at my local “dollar store” I discovered that they sold a selection of board books. For a dollar a piece! I was thrilled and stocked-up on a bunch including some beloved characters such as the Bernstein Bears. I have since seen board books at other “dollar stores” so check yours out, you never know what could be there!
Think “Classics”
Books are considered “classics” for a reason. They are usually widely loved and universally appealing. They are a good place to start if you are confused about which titles or types of books you want to pick up. Plus, they are usually great books to re-read again and again and again. Which, with babies and toddlers, is something you are bound to be doing. If you need some ideas check out my list of Classic Baby Books.
Vary the Sizes
One reason why board books are so wonderful for babies is the cognitive exploration and learning they inspire in babies. Board books come in all sorts of sizes and shapes and each one presents a bit of something new to your baby. Also, one of my favorite carry along items in my purse or diaper bag when I am headed out with my baby is a book or two. At these times I select a few that are small in size and lightweight so I don’t feel like I am carrying around bricks. (My favorite go-to tiny board book is Open the Barn Door by Christopher Santoro if you need a suggestion.)
Let People Know
When you are expecting a baby you usually are enveloped with many friends and family members who want to get you a gift. If building a library for your baby is a priority for you, don’t be afraid to let these well-wishers know! Some simple ways to do this are to include books in your baby registry, ask for books in lieu of baby cards, or have a book themed baby shower where you invite guests to bring a book. I love the idea of asking for a book in lieu of a card because the cost is comparative and the gift giver can still write a message inside the book. Only this way the message is bound to stick around longer.
Prepare Book Storage Options
When you do pick up some books for your anticipated book worm, you will need somewhere to store them. My favorite way to store baby books is baskets. Baskets are wonderful for multiple reasons: they look nice, they are accessible to babies, they can be easily moved around, you can have them in multiple locations and they make clean-up easy. Some of my favorite places in my home to have a basket of books are in our main living space and in the nursery by the chair where you do your before bedtime routine of bedtime stories, songs, etc.
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