William in the Library

It may go against logical thinking, but the public library is a convenient and effective place to entertain and watch a baby. When the popular image of a library comes to my mind I see a place that enforces a quiet atmosphere, as well as a lack of really anything for a kid to do who does not yet realize the joy of sitting down and listening to, or reading, a book. It wasn't until we my girlfriend and I started to go to a few different libraries that I began to see that many of them had children's areas that gave the kids a slightly away area to play, as long as they didn't play too loudly. 

It is at one of these libraries that William, my girlfriend, and I spend a lot of time. The kids area is a separate room with puppets, blocks, books, a felt board a wooden play area, and a cabinet with a giant bear on top of it. The hardest part of the room entails the bear and William's inability to pass by it without staring at it for a few minutes, reaching for it, then leaving the room to go explore the rest of the library. I have my suspicions that this bear is telling him to flee the kids room, lest William become trapped, just as the bear himself had. Or maybe he is just leaving to find a ladder so he can reach the bear.

Of the things in the room there are two aforementioned activities that will interest him enough that the constant calling of the bear is overcome by the fun of the toys. The first is the tray filled with blocks. Although William does not yet have the fine motor skills required to put the blocks on top of each other, he has realized he can push them around the room and say "choo-choo" a few times and the block becomes a train. It's rather entertaining to watch, as it's not only with blocks that he does this, but with many other objects that bear no immediate resemblance to a train at all. 

The other object of interest is the puppets. Although there are many puppets within the purple bucket in the rooms corner William finds one to be the most interesting puppet in the world. A small caterpillar with a place for a hand underneath him. While the monkey and elephant garner a few laughs from him, it is this caterpillar that when placed upon my hand will drive him into a laughing fit, especially as I make it scurry back and forward across the ground in front of him, or even tickle him with it. 

It is in public places like these that William has begun to learn how to interact with other children, and where I have learned I am a very defensive parent. I am constantly watching William or playing with him, and when he starts to throw blocks or run out of the room I will go over to him, tell him to stop, that he knows better, and depending on the offense a swat on the butt. He will normally realize that what he did was wrong and attempt to do something else. When I don't catch his act and someone else has to tell me about it I get extremely defensive. For the same thing I would discipline him for if I caught him, the second someone else tells me what he has done I get into a mode where every one of my words will be to defend his actions no matter what he has done. 

The library has been a great place for William so far, and will continue to be a place for my girlfriend, William and me to hang out in the hot summer days.