If you abuse it, you lose it…

We love books in our house. My husband and I are avid readers. I worked in the university music library and the local library in college.

K (3 years) doesn’t read yet but memorizes everything. He can recite every word of Goodnight Moon and tell you what specific type of construction equipment something is. (How many 3 year olds know a front end loader from a backhoe?!)

Considering the reverence I have for books, I am growing increasing frustrated with K knocking every single book off his bookshelf several times a week. It inevitably leads to a power struggle of epic proportions. I make him pick all the books back up. He refuses. It becomes the focus of the entire day.

Today I was told that I am the “meanest mommy in the world ebber ebber!”

*sigh*

Here he is in his giant pile of books:

I know kids make messes. I know he won’t stack the books perfectly straight, but there is seriously no reason for this. It is just making a mess for the sake of making a mess.

I finally decided to evoke one of our house rules- If you abuse abuse it, you loose it.

This rule gets used a lot with toys. If he is rough with a toy or leaves it out after being asked to put it away several times, it goes away for a while. I hate the idea of taking away books but I also don’t like finding books with broken spines and torn pages.

Daddy moved his book shelf into our room today and instead of stacking them, K brought them to mommy. The books will be living with Mommy and Daddy for a while. He may borrow one book at a time.

I explained again that books don’t like to be on the floor because it hurts them. They want to sleep on their shelf where they can be safe. I explained that he has to earn his bookshelf back by showing me he can treat his books nicely.

Hopefully he’ll get it. For now Llama Llama, Skippy John Jones, Clifford, The Hungry Caterpillar, Bear in Underwear, Star Wars ABCs, and all the other favorites will be keeping me company.

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