I Took My Kids to Story Time at the Library and It Forever Changed Me

Life is full of surprises

It was yet another gloomy and rainy morning in central Florida in 2017. The weather had been weird: “Welcome to October! It rains on and off all day, every day now!” I dropped the kindergartner off at school. We got a late start, so it was a close call, but we made it just in time.

As we pulled out of the school parking lot, my 3-year-old started pleading to go to the park.

“It’s rainy and wet,” I said sagely. “We’ll have to go another time.”

“NO! NOW!” he replied.

I was outflanked again.

“How about we do something else…like…um…the library or something?”

He thought it over for a few moments, sniffled indignantly, but finally acquiesced.

So, we were off to the library. I had no real plan for what we were going to do there, obviously. It was a snap decision. A Hail Mary pass. Luckily though, when we arrived, I heard some commotion coming from behind the story room door that is next to the kid’s section.

I checked the library schedule by the desk. I kind of side shuffled over all nonchalant while watching 3-year-old and 1-year-old coloring on the paper-covered table. I didn’t want the librarians to think I was up to something. Like looking at the schedule, for example.

As I suspected. Preschool Story Time was happening. And the next session started in ten minutes.

Other parents (well, all moms) started to straggle in. The energy level started to ramp up as toddlers and preschoolers circled, sizing each other up over scattered puzzle pieces and broken crayons. Ultimately, when the story time librarian emerged from the room carrying a shaggy white dog, I was able to convince my 3-year-old to go into the room to try it out.

“That’s not a real dog,” he said. “It’s a stuffed animal.”

Okay, so maybe he wasn’t impressed right away, but just wait, things picked up.

I clutched his hand, picked up the baby, and we inched our way into the room. There were chairs lined up along the side wall, but they were already…

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