Book Monsters

My kids have an avid love of reading, and I appreciate that, I really do. There’s just one part of their enthusiasm that gets under my skin.

My kids are book monsters. They don’t like to get out books one at a time. They have to take every book off the shelf and make piles surrounding themselves. They also have to drag bedding and animals out of their room to make themselves comfortable. This wouldn’t even be that bad if it wasn’t such a battle to get them to put the books away when they are finished. Every time they start packing books to whatever place they have chosen for their current reading location, I give them the warning that any books they take out will have to be cleaned up when they are finished. My warning is always met with promises and reassurances that, ‘of course, Mommy, we’ll be good little girls and pick up our books when we’re done.’ But when I come along later to find their abandoned book piles while they are off playing somewhere else, trying to get them to clean up the books brings about all sorts of drama.

I’ve tried limiting the number of books they are allowed to have out at a time. Usually, they either argue with me, or they wait until I’m not paying attention and sneak a bunch more books. Grant has even found them sitting on the couch, literally buried in books. He got closer to see Phaedra barely peeking out under all the books on her legs and around her as she was happily reading.

I suppose there are worse things. We’ll just have to work on the clean up.

As a side note: The chairs pictured above are some that we recently purchased. Ever since we moved into this house and realized how very large our master bedroom is, Grant has dreamed of having a couple of comfortable reading chairs and maybe a table with a lamp so he and I would have our very own reading nook in our room. The chairs were in the living room while they waited for me to clear some of my sewing clutter out of the bedroom. I wish I could say I have used the chairs more than the kids have, but I haven’t found the time yet. They are quite comfortable, though. I suppose I’m happy as long as they are being enjoyed and as long as they stay toy-free. Grant and I will sit down and read in them someday.