Would you rather buy books for your child or rent them from the library?

I agree with you that buying the books would make you save IF you've been paying the library full payment of a worn books you lent. I also go for thrift shops and used books since new books are really expenses but most of the children books that I have here are from my Mom and sis-in-law who are in Canada and US respectively. Its much cheaper there than here in the Philippines. I never had a problem with my child writing things in the books because I have instructed here not too and I always tell her that is she want to write, papers are available in almost every corner of our house. She also has her own notebooks where she can write and draw.

Buying books for a child who can and does read up to 20 or more a week would break the budget. The best thing that could be done is to get books at the library. This way would also give the parent the opportunity to see which books are absolute favorites of the child that could be purchased at a later time. Goodwill, thrift shops, library sales, and yard sales are all great ways to buy books for anyone. At the local Goodwill store, I bought a few books for a little girl who loves to read and they were only 79 cents each. The hardbacks there are $1.79. Some book clubs are a good place to get some good deals on new releases. Some book stores offer great prices, too. For keeping a child from writing in books, the parent could have the books stored on a very high shelf so that the child would not be able to reach them. A special time and place could be set aside each day for the child to read. There would be no other accessories allowed in that space for that time. A parent could sit and read during that time, too. The child and parent can have fun by taking turns reading to each other.

When I was a child my parents did both for me. Some books I owned, and some books we borrowed from the library. Some books became cherished faourites that I kept for sentimental value, others were passed onto younger cousins and nieces and nephews when I out-grew them.

I love to make sure that my kids are surrounded by books sweety and I always have! I think it has paid off as both my kids are avid readers , especially 6 year old Niamh! I have always used a combination of library books and bought books for them both and they have hundreds - I know my 2 love owning lots of books! If you weren't so far away I would have tried to post you some of my daughters old books but i am afraid it is too expensive to post them there , sorry! Trying to stop them from writing or drawing in books can be difficult but I always explained that you would ruin a book by doing that and made sure mine had plenty of paper around and encouraged them to copy what was in the book on to the paper as well as they could - it worked for me! xxx

Hi my Queen! I love my kids too to grow up with and value books as I do when I was their age. From time to time we scout for books on sales or thrift shops as we have no nearby library to borrow books from. My kids go to that stage too of writing every where they could lay their eyes to and books is no exception. My youngest even tore pages, one trait I didn't observe with my eldest. But one thing we do when we clean or fix it up is to ensure they were there to remind them that it isn't nice. We even bought them activity books to differentiate the two. I have one particular book, the one I grow up with so its really old and antique, that I use for their bed time stories and I remind them always that If I or every kid would have written to it or tore its pages then we won't have any stories to tell them. I use their favorite movies as an example like we wouldn't see 'Beauty and the Beast' or 'Sleeping Beauty' if there's no books to read their stories from. And it does paid off.)

When I was still studying, My parents doesn't have enough budget to buy books for me. So, I was using the library as my primary source of research and assignments. If it requires a copy of book during lecture, I photo copied my classmates books and saved money from this. As for my kids, we already have complete sets of Encyclopedia,dictionaries,and other books from our home. We bought these books together with their educational laptop computer when they are still 3 years old. We have alloted books shelves for them. We are guiding them for now while they are using the books to refrain them from writing or putting anything on the books to remain it clean.

We did not have problems with writing in the books, I think because the kids had other things they wrote on. I bought some book collections, as Christmas and Birthday gifts. I did buy at yard sales, and when my kids were in school through the book clubs, because their classrooms got points. I believe it is important for kids to own books, but they can be exposed to so many more by using the library as well.

I think the only time we've ever borrowed a book from the library for my son, was when we were in Missouri. We don't have a local library here in our small town. Elliott literally has hundreds of books already, though. We had probably around 400 or so before he was even born. We've bought more since then, and my mom sends him some for every holiday. Sometimes it's 2-3, but other times it's a dozen or more!

Morning, beauty queen. Usually it is up to my son to decide to buy whatever books he prefers from bookstores or borrows from our local paid library. He borrows novels from the paid library, but buys books that are related to his subjects at school, though sometimes he also buys some novels that interest him. Thanks.

I would rather buy the books and get to keep them than check them out at the library and then return them, but then again my kids have at least 100 books at the moment so maybe I go a bit overboard.

I recently joined my three youngest in the library and we go once a week for them to choose books. The way I stop them ruining them is to not let them have responsibility of them just yet, I keep them and then each day after school I have ten minutes with each of them to read their chosen books but they all listen to whoever is reading. Even my two year old reads and she is picking up words really fast! My daughter will not let me read kids books to her in bed, at the moment she is listening to me read "The Boleyn Inheritance" I think she is way to mature for her two years, she has definately been here before LOL

I like to check out books from the library. This doesn't entirely replace the value of having her own books, thought. She has a sizable collection, I think. I've fallen off making weekly trips to the library and I really should start that up again soon. I really feel it enriches my daughter's life to have a wide variety of books to choose from.

I will buy them a couple books a year, usually 1 per holiday. If I find some at a garage sale for a good price, like a whole box for $2 I will get them. Most of the books they've gotten have been free, through freecycle or other various places. We actually don't use the library much, as they don't take good enough care of the books. The older ones no longer destroy them, but they never put them away when they're done, so the babies will get ahold of them and rip them.

Theres actually nothing wrong with doing both. Buying books definitely comes in handy because children tend to want to read a certain book repeatedly, and itll be there available at home whenever. Plus Library fees really suck when you return books late or damaged. But going to the library can be a nice experience to share between you and your child. Plus its free. I still have really good memories of my mom regularly taking me to the library to do research for school or just to get a few books to read. But she also bought me books that i Still have on the bookshelf up to this day. Ive actually sold a few of them on ebay and half.com and made a nice little profit- so thats a good idea too. As far as getting your child to stop writing in books, just try your best to get them to see it as something bad and that mommy doesnt like that. This way they might remind themselves not to do it i guess...

I had a lot of library books as a kid, I couldn't read well but was determined to learn how to read well and faster. My mom rented me books from the library and tought me that I ought to be quiet in there, how to search for books, how to ask help to the library miss, etc. So it was quite educational too and it helped me to stroll through the library independantly at a young age. It's hard to keep kids from writing in books when they are young. My mom would keep the pencils and markers in a place where I couldn't reach them untill I was old enough to realise it's not a good thing to colour in books as books are expensive and it makes them harder to read. 'They are allready coloured in, you needn't to, get your colouringbook if you want to colouring, get a book when you want to read' or so said my mom My fosterbrother is two years old and I buy his books at thriftstores, fleamarkets, etc. I daren't get them from the library unless I read them to him because he's still in the rip-and-dip fase where he rips out pages (not on purpose, it's play) and dips them in the waterbowl of our dogs to see what happens to the pages... ugh. If I really like a book I will buy it and put it away in his own bookcase so he can read it when he grows older and so it will stay nice and neat. I've done so with a special edition of one of his favourite book series and had it signed by the autor. This will be fun for him later on as it's a nice piece to save and remind him of the character he liked so much as a kid. I actually drew him a picture of the character for his 2nd birthday for on the cake, I'll add the pic!

We go to the library-- but not often. We go there to read there or look for books. I buy a lot from yard sales Always have! I'm the same I like to be able to keep the books- When my daughter was younger she would write in them- I'd take them away- even her favorites- She just outgrew it. It's funny- I just bought 2 books off e-bay this morning for her- and she wants to look again- There is an auction ending in an hour- The girl has so many books- She buys the whole sets. She uses her gift cards on them- and I pick them up with gift cards and internet money that I make. I am not complaining though- Reading is wonderful for kids! I read all the time too. SO yes I buy way more than we rent (to answer the question)

we go to the library once a week so i would rather get my books there. if i really loved the book, then i would go out and buy it.

hey! Well I had a brilliant idea, atleast I thought it was brilliant. Ofcourse Gemini is right in saying "keep them away" but also... well what about those new markers that don't write on anything but the special paper? You can test it on a little leaf of a book to see if it will write on it and if it doesn't, there ya go! She can play, and not get anything on the pages.... Plus, keep the other markers and stuff away from her at these times... So no mess, no money spent, and no problem eh well it's up to the momma!

I don't have children but I do most of these things. Our libraries are free, but it is often hard to get there when you work full time. So I go there sometimes - I think this is better for the environment and the space in your home if you borrow books. Also, sometimes I feel i have already read all the books I like in the library, or all the good ones are out - especially when it is a new book. The thrift shops are good, if you can find good ones in there, because you are helping charities. I bought some agatha christies at lifeline last week for a couple of dollars each. I also bought some books off ebay a few weeks ago, some were specialty books about raw food, which were at a lower price 2nd hand than they would be new, and I don't think our library would have stocked these books, I also haven't seen these books in the thrift shop. I have bought books from the thrift shop for my family members, not really for an occasion present, but just for a little gift for no reason. I usually buy new books for my nephews and nieces for special occasions, but i know my sisters go to the library for their children. also like borrowing cookbooks from the library when you are looking for special things and more variety. I have borrowd books on making chocolates, sushi making and heaps of other exotic type books!

Borrow anything that looks interesting from the library. If, after reading it, you (and your daughter) really like it, add it to your "To Buy" list. Buy the classics (i.e., Little House series), even if you have to pay full price. The things that are timeless should be part of your daughter's library (even if they have to be kept out of reach except at reading time). These are the books that she will return to (and possibly write more than a few school papers on). Buy interesting books that are in decent shape from book sales, thrift shops, etc. As to writing in books, keep good books out of her reach. "Writable" books (i.e. board books, etc.) can be left down for her everyday entertainment. If she is big enough to reach the "good" books, she should then be old enough to understand that books are for reading. That should be by about the age of four.