I can still remember the books from my childhood, National Velvet, Anne of Green Gables, the Little House series. All allowed me to escape into another world, lost for hours in another place and time. I’m sure that you remember your favorites too. What would childhood be without books?
How many adults do you know that still hoard books? You know them; there are overstuffed bookcases in every room and piles of books on every horizontal surface. Let’s be honest, we become emotionally attached to the stories that we read, that is natural and understandable.
I need to be clear that I am personally an avid reader as are all five of my children. We can clean out a library’s holdings in no time at all; often leaving with two full sacks EACH! This is not about discouraging the wonderful habit of reading, but rather, controlling the chaos that can come from the sheer number of books we keep.
Books contain powerful amounts of energy, including the energy of the author, the energy of the message, and the energy that you create as you respond to the story. One book can contain more chi than an entire living room full of furniture. We need to decide what to keep and where to keep it if we want this energy to work for us instead of against us.
First, it is very important to decide on the location of the books. My suggestion is to keep them out of bedrooms if at all possible. This will allow the bedrooms to remain calm, tranquil, ‘yin’ spaces that will keep our children resting easily and comfortably. (That works for adults too, by the way!) Maintaining a family bookcase in the living room, den, or even a hallway is a better choice.
If there is no choice but to have a bookcase in the child’s bedroom, please remember that tall, vertical bookcases can have an oppressive and overwhelming impact on your child, pressing down and leaving them feeling stuck or suffocated. This is particularly bad when your child is young (birth to pre-teen). Choose instead a low bookcase, (perhaps 2 shelves), that is no taller than the child’s shoulders.
Next, choose the books that are kept wisely. I once entered a woman’s home and she told me her relationships were all very dramatic and draining. Upon looking over her bookcases, the titles all reflected this, “Scandal”, “Fatal Attraction”, etc. Make sure that the titles of your children’s books reflect the energy that you want around them. I may read trashy love novels from time to time, but they only stay in my house long enough for me to read them and then be passes along!
Lastly, set a limit on the number of books that your home can contain. Choose books that your child revisits over and over again, allow them to grow and expand their mind by letting go of books that they have outgrown and creating room for the new. It is so easy to stall a child’s development by stagnating and not encouraging growth. Allow your child to pass the books to friends, family, or a local shelter. This will not only be a wonderful habit to learn, but you are also giving a parent who may not be able to afford books the ability to provide their children opportunities to expand their minds too.