Library “Babytime” Programs: Allowing New Parents to Meet, Bond with Little Ones

When it comes to visiting the library, encourage your children to start young! In fact, it’s never too early to start your child’s love of reading! Even at 9 months of age, babies begin to identify favorite stories and pictures.

Just by reading themselves, parents can familiarize their babies with books (and ebooks) and model aspects of pre-reading, such as handling books and turning pages. However, don’t be surprised if your little one nibbles a few pages while beginning to explore the wide world of stories! Plus, library “babytimes” give new parents a chance to meet each other, borrow books and other materials, exchange parenting tips, and bond with their children by exploring music, motion, and storytime magic.

Here’s a timeline of what to expect when introducing your child to books:

Birth-6 Months of Age

Easy-to-grasp, “chunky” or fabric books help babies become familiar with holding materials and gathering information in the form of pictures.

I recommend titles with textured pages, such as Pat the Bunny (Kunhardt, 1940), for very little bookworms. These books are especially interesting to little bookworms who are beginning to “get a feel” for the world by sampling sensory fun.

6–9 Months of Age

At this stage, your babies often begin to mirror adult readers by opening and closing books. Buttons and audio features can also add interest and stimulate your growing child’s mind.

9–18 Months of Age

Depending upon the size of your library, programs may be offered separately for babies and toddlers. If your little ones are different ages, or if you aren’t sure of the correct storytime level for your child, just ask a librarian.

Libraries tend to welcome children of all ages to storytimes; the ages included in storytime advertisements are typically just suggestions based on interest and ability levels. During library “babytimes,” older siblings can participate and begin practicing responsibility by acting as “helpers” for their brothers and sisters. I’ve seen elementary-aged siblings enjoy “babytime” and “toddler time” activities just as much as the youngest children in the bunch.

During this stage, you or your librarian can begin to engage your child with stories by asking related questions while reading. For example, your librarian might ask “Where is the cow in the picture?,” and ask little ones to point to a character on the page.

What you need to know about library “babytimes”

Sure, library “babytimes” include picture books, but they also provide an engaging time for babies to play with props (like egg shakers and scarves) and to enjoy lap bounces, fingerplays, and dancing songs. Puppets and musical slideshows often steal the show as well!

• When attending “babytime,” arrive early to settle in and find a good seat. Showing up before the action begins will also give you a chance to meet the librarian, who is then able to call your child by name. Over time, librarians and little visitors develop special relationships and your librarian can tailor the materials she chooses to the age and ability of her audience.
• It’s fine to make some noise! When it comes to wee ones, your children’s librarian is a seasoned expert. She absolutely expects some babies to cause a fuss during “babytimes.”

If you’re unable to get the crying under control, don’t feel embarrassed! Remember, you’re among other parents. The typical “babytime” etiquette in this situation is to leave the area with a crying baby — no apologies needed! — and to return to the storytime circle when your baby has calmed down. Stepping away for a few minutes doesn’t cause a lot of distraction and it allows other parents and babies to refocus their attention.

• Your library stays “abreast” with your child’s needs. Children’s librarians understand that some mothers may need to nurse during babytime. Typically, “babytime” moms remain at the storytime circle and use a blankie for modesty when their baby needs to feed.

If your child has any special needs that you anticipate addressing during storytime, give your librarian a “heads up” and choose a seat near the edge of the circle if you believe you may need to leave the group for a few moments.

• Use “babytime” to network with other parents, exchange tips, and make playdates. Since babies have short attention spans, “babytimes” tend to last about 20 minutes. However, many moms and dads stay to play and connect after the program.

Often, librarians end “babytime” events with sensory props such as bubbles and soft toys. Feel free to “lounge around” a bit after the program and wear comfortable clothing when you go. Depending upon your library, parents may choose to sit on mats or chairs during “babytime,” and blankies are often laid out for your little one to wiggle upon.

I love “babytime” events not only because they bring community members together and develop babies’ minds, but also because they enhance parent-child bonds. “Babytime” activities enrich your child’s world while allowing you to watch her grow, foster her development, and spend special moments together.

As she grows, your baby looks to you to show her the path forward and depends upon you to model the skills she will need in order to develop into a healthy child. “Babytime” allows parents to spend special moments with their children and to build the foundations of relationships which will last a lifetime.

Allow your actions and enjoyment of the program to show her just how much fun the library can be and use your time together to create special moments you’ll look back upon for years to come. By participating in library programs with your child, you can show her the importance of laughter, play, and learning without even trying!

Note that many libraries offer either pre-recorded or live babytimes for individuals who would prefer not to ( or cannot) attend “babytime” in person. Check your local library’s website for programming information or give the library a call to find out more about all this community hub has to offer you and your baby.

You can also check out other libraries around the nation for digital babytimes. One of my favorite “babytime” resources is Jbrary; the site offers videos and information for “toddler time” and literary programming for K-12 kids as well!