Library Storytime: An Intro for New Parents

Don’t worry if your little one can’t sit still; library story hours are great for all kids!

As a new parent, it’s natural to worry about how your child will develop. You want them to grow up to be happy, healthy, and successful; their first few years in the world are their life's most developmentally important period. If you want to do a bit extra to help the process along, we recommend visiting your local library. You’d be surprised at just how many services local libraries offer to small children and new parents.

One such service is the classic library storytime. Maybe you’ve heard of it and are wondering whether your little one would enjoy it. If that’s the case, keep reading! We’ll cover what library storytimes entail, who’s welcome to join, and how they benefit children and parents alike.

Sign the pledge to vote for libraries!

What Goes on during Library Storytime?

Many people perceive libraries as being dead-silent day in and day out. Though this may have been the case at one point, it isn’t anymore, especially when children’s activities are involved. Now, the library is a place for community members to gather and interact with each other. With human interaction as important as it is for young minds, library storytimes typically allow for social time alongside the story itself.

Even while the story is being read, your child isn’t expected to be quiet at all. To keep kids engaged, many storytimes directly involve their listeners. After all, the librarians are reading to your kids, not at them. There’s plenty of reading aloud, of course, but there’s also singing, dancing, playing, and socializing. Your child is not only allowed but actively encouraged to join in on all of these fun activities.

What Ages Are Welcome?

Most library storytimes are all-ages events. Because they’re designed to be fun and inclusive, the activities appeal to almost any kid. Of course, if you can, look for a storytime where your child can meet other people around their age, as that’ll give them a much better opportunity to socialize and make new friends.

If you’re just wondering whether or not it’s possible to enroll them, though, you’re all clear! As long as they come ready to enjoy themselves, they’re more than welcome at any library storytime.

Your donations help support libraries across the country. 

Benefits for Parents and Children

Even though they may seem like nothing but a fun activity at first, library storytimes have some very real, very important benefits for your little ones. As you’d expect, they expose your children to language, helping them become eloquent speakers and proficient readers. However, their greatest benefit is that they help your child become a part of their community. 

In the age of the internet, smartphones, and on-demand, at-home entertainment, it’s becoming easier and easier for children to live in a social bubble of sorts. Growing up in a bubble like that can be socially stunting, often leading to a challenging shift into early adulthood. Taking your child to social events like storytimes is a great way to get them to engage with the people around them, form a support net, and ultimately grow up to become well-adjusted adults.

Of course, these events also benefit parents. Adults need a supportive community of friends just as much as any child, and the library is a great place to find them. Having people to support you is especially important as a new parent. Having the responsibility of caring for another life can be stressful, even overwhelming, at times.

If you have people to talk to, it becomes so much simpler. Whether you speak to fellow new parents who you can relate with or more experienced parents who can give you some guidance, it’s essential to have good, trustworthy people in your life. Fortunately, there are few better places to find them than at your local library.

If you’d like to learn more about the many ways libraries support a new generation of readers, feel free to visit us at EveryLibrary today!

Visit www.everylibrary.org to learn more about our work on behalf of libraries. 

#librarymarketers: Enjoy this story? Want to use it for your library newsletter, blog, or social media? This article is published under Creative Commons License Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International and is free to edit and use with attribution. Please cite EveryLibrary on medium.com/everylibrary.

This work by EveryLibrary is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0