Hello!
So how has the past week been? Crazy busy am sure.
A long weekend is a welcome break- it’s coming after a very long time! And with Holi, the kids were happy that we got to spend it with friends in the park- the two things they missed a lot in the last two years.
Ok, but talking of things that we ARE grateful for in the past two years- it is the habit of reading. My daughter has had the time to redo her bookshelf and bring to the front books we got her, but she didn’t read (or re-read!). She spent a good few hours arranging the books first by size, and then with a change of heart- according to genres- and then she ended up arranging them by colours! Whatever works and keeps them busy, I say!
But that reminds me of the topic I want to write about in this week’s KSP Book Club newsletter. How to arrange your child’s books in a way they can access it easily plus it looks neat and organised- we tell you!
Popular organising expert and founder of “Organise With Ease” Rohini Rajagopalan wrote for KSP on how you apply the KonMari method to rearrange your child’s books.
The KonMari Method To Arrange Your Child’s Bookshelf
I owned over 500 books and when I KonMari-ed my entire home, books were the last item I tackled because I knew it would be a tough one. Having been through the process which made me reduce my collection to literally 20 books (yes!!) I can easily say that I would totally recommend this to anyone who is choosing to go minimal. Now with two kids aged 5 and 7 years, we are at a stage where they are able to edit their books frequently and most often they do it themselves.
While KonMari-ing your kids’ books, here are a few things that you need to keep in mind
- Do your kids love reading the books or are those books you wish your kids read?
- Are the books going to be re-read by the kids or by you for them?
While editing your kid’s bookshelf we often find that the parents with good intention imposing their desired list of books for kids to read. With kids above 7 years and self readers, we have found that they clearly know what they would like to read and are able to clearly edit their pile of books.
A simple way to get started on this journey is to
- Allocate about an hour and pull out all the books your child owns.
- Then go through every single book and categorise what you want to keep ( will be stuff that they would want to read again or have not read still)
- A pile of what they have outgrown which can be donated or put away in case of a younger sibling and books that are not in great condition.
- Spending a few seconds and going over each pile and truly listening to your child’s thoughts on the books that they want to keep will help you create a space that will be inviting for your child to reach out to.
- Forcing and trying to put in books you wish they read, will be thought to resist but to make this process a success I would highly recommend refraining from doing this.
- Put back in the shelf the books they have decided to keep and lets now hope they love reading and do more of it!!
And if you are looking for trendy bookshelves that are doing the rounds in the online market- we have put together a list we like- check it out here!
The One Thing I Do When I Am Space-Starved For More Books
When I take a flight or am planning a road trip, the first thing I would want as my companion is books. And even before I am on this, my daughter packs her suitcase full of books, and when I remind her about luggage restrictions- she puts up a sad face that almost breaks your heart, Thankgod for the Kindle!
Instead of the 7 bulky Harry Potter collections I got her, she has now downloaded the entire series on her sleek device for FREE with the Kindle Unlimited subscription– so she can re-re-read them with joy all through the holidays with her cousins!
And the best part- your kids can do that too. We had sent you a mail earlier, along with your exclusive coupon code to avail 2 months; FREE access to Kindle Unlimited subscription. So go ahead and redeem it if you haven’t already!
I have listed 5 books that I recently added to my daughter’s library (for free!) with the Kindle Unlimited subscriptionm.. Check out the list below.
Conversation Starter Of The Week
In the past weeks we told you all about Charles Mackesy’s book that we have been in love with. The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse is a book you must read with your children- and even better when you tune into the audio book!
Read my review of this book here.
And in this Instagram post by Charles Mackesy, he brings to fore, a very very simple yet hard-hitting truth that WE as parents muct first remember. With exam time approaching, it is okay to push your kids to excel more- but don’t fall into the rut of comparing them with kids with higher grades and marks that creates a dent in your child’s confidence.
Sunday Storytelling Sessions With KSP Book Club
Bookmark your Sundays with KSP Book Club as we rope in famous authors and storytellers to read out the best books for your kids!
Last Sunday we had Anisha Bajaj of Kidzalaya narrate the story of The Cricket Pang Values Series by HarperCollins Children’s Books for your little one and boy- we loved the enthusiastic replies and comments we got for the questions asked during the session!(Psst- 4 lucky winners also each won a copy of the book!
In case you missed it you can watch it here.
Word Of The Week
Accordance:
Following or conforming to a rule, wish or desire; an agreement
Usage: The mom planned the birthday party in accordance with her child’s request for a theme.
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Also, don’t forget to join us on our Storytelling Sessions on KSP Book Club every Sunday. Join us on the Kidsstoppress Facebook Page.
Janani S Koushik
Mansi Zaveri
