Book Organization

[raynjen]

How do you keep your preschooler's books organized?

We have a two-shelf bookcase that I ruthlessly keep in check (by donating 'younger' books). However, now that she is really into 'reading' and will pull out 5-10 books a day (or an entire shelf if she is looking for a particular book), I find that I am either 1) standing over her for up to an hour at the end of the day to get her to put her books back (since there are a lot of them and they are rather heavy) 2) spending a good 15-30 minutes of my time each evening putting them away or 3) letting her put them back in HER way (haphazard piles, precariously stacked). I'm not happy with any of these solutions. Her piles drive me crazy (very type A), both of us end up crying if I make her do it 'right', and putting them away myself runs counter to my parenting instincts.

Do you have any good solutions? This little thing seems to be getting more and more out of hand every day.

Jen in Okinawa
Mom to a wonderful preschooler,
who is almost three, Noelle!

[brubeck]

Could you get one of those cabinets with customizeable shelf height? If you could teach her to put the books in upright (instead of flat) then she cna learn to put each book on the shelf where it fits. So small books go on the small shelf, etc. etc.

I have seen the book 'display' racks like the use in preschools where books face out but I think that probably wouldn't hold the volume of books you are looking for.

FWIW I have the same issue. I have learned that during the day it will be a bit messy with out book cabinet, and then haphazardly put away. Every night before DH comes home I fix them 'right' and then do a quickie touch-up before bed. At least I know that in the morning it will be neat!

[brigmaman]

We have this bookshelf. Though we could use another one, too!


http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/14332.jpg
ETA- it's $60 from One Step Ahead.

[raynjen]

How many books would you estimate you can get in there? We currently have well over 100 books ranging in size from 4" x 4" board books to 10" x 14" nursery rhyme books.

DH finally got tired of the "pile" (I had been letting her return the books to the shelf thinking she would get tired of not finding the right book - no such luck) and straightened it up this past weekend.

Jen in Okinawa
Mom to a wonderful preschooler,
who is almost three, Noelle!

[kmty]

DS is only 2, and we have a bookcase in his toyroom. And we keep 5-8 "new" books out in the family room. When we decide to rotate books (every 2-5 days), we tell him it's time for new books, and both DS and I put away the "old" books and then he chooses new books for the family room.

We will soon be moving him into a big boy room with a bookshelf, so I don't know if things will change when the books are more readily available to him.

Mom to Ben (2) and expecting on 1/2005