Before my daughter was born, I had visions of organic untreated wood bookshelves. There were wall mounts for beautiful children's books, everything in my imagination was organized, categorized, simplified and well cared for. Book jackets? In tact. Pages? Unmarred.
Then came M. Turns out, none of my visions were realistic or even necessary.
So, let's just put it all out there. These systems are normal-and each has its own pros and cons.
1: M's Closet Stack Collection:
At one time, there was a shelf here. Now it's repurposed for God only knows what.
Pros: Easily accessible, adds a pop of color to the brown carpet, promotes good motor skill development with stacking exercises.
Cons: Difficult to vacuum under.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
2: Living Room Play Shelf Collection:
An actual bookshelf!!! While the books are technically on the top of shelf instead of "shelved" it still counts.
Pros: They're in one place, titles are visible for those of use who can read.
Cons: M can't see the covers so when she wants one, and they end up all over the floor anyway. Too far away from the comfiest places to lounge.
Rating: 1 out of 5 stars.
3: M's 'By The Bed' Collection:
Could I stand up and put these with the others in the closet stack? Sure. But do I? Rarely. Only if someone is coming over.
Pros: Easy to reach, favorites are more accessible than 'not favorites', they aren't on the floor.
Cons: I mean - none?
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
4: Parent's Bedside Collection:
Because let's be real - she's usually in the grown up bed.
Pros: Easiest to access, I know exactly where the favorites are at all times, they are safe from the havoc of forts and sandboxes.
Cons: Is this a subconscious invitation to continue sleeping in my bed?
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars ... maybe 5.
5: The Backseat Car Pocket Collection:
Easily my favorite of the group.
Pros: Driving is less distracted, M has easy access and easy distractions of her own, easily contained in one nice little spot, easy to share with friends along for the ride, easy to grab to bring into doctors appointments or restaurants.
Cons: Zero. Zero cons.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. 6 Even.
So there you have it. 5 rated "real person" storage solutions for your kids' books. They probably aren't recommended by book purists, but here we are.
I've learned that books are our friends. And like friends, they can evolve and be with us in a lot of different ways. Our loved books can dirty, they can be shoved into the backseat pockets and backpacks for drives, they can have jam-soaked fingerprints and be even more loved than they were on day one. We might grow out of our toys, but we never grow out of our treasured stories.
Disclaimer: I am not paid by anyone to advertise the titles seen in these pictures. They just happen to be books we have and love. Read, buy, store and do all things at your own risk.