Toddler library certificate? Not for us, thank you.

We have a great programme in Scotland which encourages bringing children and their families into libraries with songs, stories and activities.  Each child is given books as a baby, toddler and preschooler. A child can have their own library card from birth and most of our libraries are welcoming with children areas which can include toys.  The librarians often let the children date stamp their books. I fully support these initiates.  What I do feel unsure about is certificates for 0-4 year olds for taking books out of the library.

I understand that for a few households and for some children, particularly once they start reading, the certificates may help but why can’t the books themselves for the majority of children be the reward?   Our daughter already loves books and I just don’t get why she needs a reward card stamped each time she visits to borrow a book.  Once there are so many stamps the child can select a certificate.
 
Twice now I have been pushed towards starting my daughter working towards a library certificate.  Both times I have said I am waiting until it means something to her – I know my daughter would already grasp the concept but it is an easy opt out reply.  The most recent time I was made to feel I was denying my daughter.  We are a pro reading household.  My husband and I were both book worms as children and really did devour book after book.  We still do when we get the chance. We were reading to Luath prebirth and from almost as soon as she was born, and she has always had access to reading materials.  Surely that is more important than a piece of paper to say we have borrowed books but not necessarily  looked at them.

I don’t think there were any certificates or awards to work towards when I was a toddler.  If there were I don’t remember and my parent’s didn’t keep them.  I do remember ones from school for swimming distances, passing gymnastic stages and Burns poetry recital.  Somewhere I have some of these along with my degree certificate.  It is difficult to truly remember as a child if it was getting the certificate or  the actual accomplishment that was the goal.  I do have vivid memories of the joy of being able to do certain gymnastic skills to achieve one of the awards. As a teenager I had an armful (two actually) of girl guide badges, and I know I liked the badges, but I loved learning new things and that always was my catalyst.  I hope that we can show Luath that it isn’t the certificate that is important, it is what you learnt and experienced on the way.

If in the future the library certificate is something Luath wishes to do, then I will be happy to support her but for now we will continue to avoid the reward card, but enjoy the books we borrow.
(Luath is 27 months)
Shared with the Sunday Parenting Party