If you are new here, welcome!
Coffee Talk is meant to be an open, charitable conversation — a source of information and encouragement for Catholic families of all kinds. As always, be nice or be deleted.
Technorati Tags: catholic family life, coffee talk, catholic moms
Hi Claudia,
Sorry I don’t have any answers, but I just wanted to say I too am interested in any responses to #2. This culture is so saturated with horrible messages about the birds and the bees that I want to give my kids the tools they’ll need from the beginning to be grounded in what’s good for them, but I don’t want to take the approach my mother did (pace Mum!).
To Claudia:
If I were you I’d contact your DRE at your parish and find out if you can homeschool your daughters using the parish’s curriculum. That is what I do with my four children who attend public school. My DRE is very accomodating to religious ed “homeschoolers” and provides the midterm & final exams for us and all the materials, provided that we register our children in the program and pay the fee.
About explaining the birds and bees, I too have three daughters and my oldest daughter is 11. I try to keep things pretty simple. My parents went a little overboard on explaining things to me at a young age and it kind of freaked me out. So I decided to just take it as a “wait and see approach”. If she asks me a question about her body, I’ll answer it. But I try not to make too much of a deal about it.
Also, in my state (NJ), a parent has the right to examine the state’s health curriculum (actually all subjects are open) for the upcoming school year. Visit your principal and ask them if you can view the materials. If I remember correctly fourth grade was hygiene and fifth grade is menstruation and puberty. We had to sign a permission slip to allow our children to participate in the class, they don’t just “spring” it on them without advance notice.
Good luck!
Regina,
I have been thinking of you since your post last week. I have also been remembering you before the Blessed Sacrament and asking St. Monica’s intercession for you, your dh and couples in similar situations.
Marital issues of this nature are so private that it is sometimes the case that we cannot tell anyone, even a priest. I am guessing that this is probably your case (it is mine). Having other people out there who know and care can sometimes be the only consolation. And knowing there are saints who have gone through the same thing.
Thanks, Danielle; this is why I love Tuesdays.
Hi Jennifer – that sounds like a really healthy approach.
To Thinkin’ of Slingin’ and others looking for advice about baby carriers. Just wanted to clarify that the Maya wrap never hurt my back…I just never felt comfortable wearing it. When my babies were very little (1-3 months old) I could use it but as they got bigger and started squirming around I felt like they were going to fall out.
Thanks Kim F. Mayan wrap has one strike against it then!
No teeth baby – my 16 month old has exactly four teeth, and I do about exactly what you do – I seem to be heavy on fruits as well. I’ve been trying to give her more bits of meat, and eggs for breakfast although she doesn’t seem wild about them. (I’m still nursing 4-6 times per day, too.) She’s pretty healthy so far, but I worry that she’ll turn out picky like me if I don’t get a better variety of foods in her.
This is for Michelle, the woman whose mother-in-law has terminal brain cancer. I work in the Spiritual Care department at a Catholic hospital and have some good little pamphlets that might help in explaining the situation to your daughter. I would be happy to mail them to you. I do not want to post my work e-mail address or expect you to post your mailing address. What I will do is e-mail Danielle my contact information. If you are interested, you do the same (top of the page under “Contact”) and hopefully Danielle can forward your information to me.
(Danielle – I hope this isn’t asking too much of you!)
On another note, I sure would appreciate if you all would say a little prayer for me in dealing with a difficult family situation. Thanks!
Gee explaining abortion to my kids. That is not one I am looking forward to; one of the things I would rather they never had to know about. But, my younger brothers are all staunchly prolife, even if not all of them make it to Mass every Sunday. With them I remember they were upset. I guess it is just a matter of waiting until you think they are old enough to deal with being upset. My mother just said, ‘well some people dont want their babies, so they kill them’. Followed by, ‘Yes they could give them to us instead, but they dont want to and I don’t know why.’ Photos etc were not really necessary at this point, and we often went to rallies and got the rest of the details eventually at school.
Because my mum was pregnant (often-ish) and we had animals there wasn’t really the same birds and bees thing, but there was never any doubt that whatever was inside was a baby person (or cow or sheep).
I know abortion is a ‘complicated issue’ and as we got older we came to understand outside pressure and everything else, and we were always involved in collecting baby stuff for the various RTL groups, but I dont think there is any way of hiding the awfulness of what it is in a normal family.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my slings!!! I got one with my 4th, and wouldn’t go without one after that. I got my 1st and 2nd from Dr. Sears and my mom made my last one from a pattern we purchased online (fit for larger moms). I wear it to the grocery store, church, park…it eases your ability to nurse discreetly and, for little babies- keeps strangers at a better distance…(You know, those people who touch, kiss the babiy’s hands/face without asking!!!)
MKRL: I ditto the remark about dieting too soon…I found if I exercised too much or didn’t take in as many calories…a breast infection resulted soon after. I just cut out the junk, eat lots of protien and veggies with nuts and low glycemic fruit and the weight comes off slowly, while baby is very happy AND healthy. God bless.
My boys go to public school in TX. Weather permitting, they have 20 minutes recess every day.
MKRL, Tiffany & Diane:
Thanx for the suggestions. That web site looks awesome! Its so bad I think I might try all of these at once
Oops, I meant to address my comment “to NFP Help” but instead I wrote “to Regina”. I am sorry, my memory is not spectacular, obviously.
Diane,
I worked for an oral surgeon for years and had bony, impacted wisdom teeth removed myself with only Novacaine. There was no pain during surgery and the recovery went very well. Just make sure she follows all recovery instructions after the surgery and she should do just fine.
Off to College
Our second oldest son recently turned 18 and graduated high school. He is accepted and registered at a 4 year university about an hour away (he will be commuting). It is the same school his older brother just graduated from. Our son is having “second thoughts”, to put it mildly. He is extremely upset and says now that he does not want to go to a university, we are making him go. School has always been hard for him but he has worked hard.
How do we know if his fears are normal, or if he truly does not want to attend college? Should we consider letting him try the local junior college until he is certain? My husband and I both have college degrees and really believe it is he best advantage we can give him…but is college for everyone?
Any advice at all is welcome…and your prayers will help, too.
Claudia: We’re going to try Family Formation (http://www.familyformation.net/) this year for home-based catechesis. There was some buzz about it on other Catholic mom blogs (I think Karen Edmisten), and so we are going to give it a go.
You receive a monthly packet of materials. The lessons follow the liturgical year and the lectionary cycles.
Re: SLINGS
I love my ERGO! My sling and my baby bjorn hurt my back after 15 minutes, but I can wear the ERGO for hours without suffering from it. Both my baby and my 3 year old love being carried in it, and my husband loves it too – he always chooses to wear the babies in the ergo rather than bring a stroller when we are on a family outing. The sling was always a mystery to him. I’m only disappointed that I didn’t discover this product until I had my fourth child, it’s easily my favorite baby product.
Thinkin’ of Slingin’
I am a mother of four and I use/make/sell wrap slings with an instructional video for significanly lower price than the Moby brand. I LOVE the wrap for its comfort and versatility. My two year old practically lived in it for the first year of his life and now my 4 month old is in it all. the. time! Feel free to email me for more info! antoniosarah@msn.com
To midwest librarian: I think it’s wonderful that you are concerned about catering to your Catholic homeschooling patrons! There are so many great resources. My personal wishlist includes a lot of the titles from Bethlehem Books, much of which is historical fiction. Saint books, of course. For other ideas, you could look at the book lists for Mother of Divine Grace homeschool curriculum and RChistory.com (they put out a Catholic mullti-age level history curriculum). Also love2learn.net, which is a Catholic homeschool curriculum review site, and hillsideeducation.com, which focuses on literature. Catholic Heritage Curricula carries a few great items that are exclusive to them, such as Devotional Stories for Little Folks. Thanks again for asking! Blessings, Lynn in VA
Re: off to college
I personally don’t think college is for everyone. There are many things that one can do and make a good living and/or contribute to society without having a college degree. The world needs all types of people who do all types of work. No job is really beneath another because all are needed. Think of it, where would we be without the garbage man, street layer, construction worker, auto mechanic. Junior college may be the way to go or even a Vocational Technical School. If he is happy doing whatever job he feels passion for it is a great thing. We live in a country where we can choose that which we want to do and pursue it any way we want. Blessings to you and yours.
Sometimes I feel like the only mom who comes here who sends her children to public school. Have any of you others made this particular choice? Are you at peace with it? How do you help your kids stay focused on the Lord and grow in their Catholicism when they are surrounded by superficiality, disrespectfulness, and downright sinfulness 7 hours a day? My son is entering junior high in a couple of weeks- and I fear my last sentence is not much of an exaggeration! Thank you!
Regarding teaching about abortion: we prayed at Planned Parenthoods during the 40 Days for Life and have prayed outside abortion clinics with our young kids. From early on, we have simply said that we are praying for moms who don’t want to have babies in their tummies. We told them that God wants all mommies to want their babies, but sometimes some mommies have a difficult time because of certain circumstances. That explanation was good for several years and now my 8 and 10 year olds both know what abortion is without needing the specific details of the process. We answer questions when asked, but don’t volunteer extra information. Even from an early age, all children should be encouraged to pray for life.
Re: low carb while nursing
My friend and I both have PCOS (an insulin resistance based condition), so we have to low carb for the sake of our health, reproductive and otherwise. Her endocrinologist said low carbing while nursing was not only a good idea but necessary to keep her hormone levels up–and keep up her milk supply. BUT he did not want her going so low carb so as to be in ketosis–definitely not good for the baby. So go for the good carbs (green veggies) and stay strong with protein! And don’t forget your daily multivit and some extra calcium!
Just an aside, my friend and I both got pregnant (me for the first time in my life, she for her second pregnancy) after 6 months on the Atkins diet… definitely a thought for any of you struggling with infertility due to PCOS… I know that Atkins isn’t terribly healthy on the face of it–I don’t mean to start a debate on this. Please keep in mind that I’m recommending a modified version for those of us in particular circumstances. If you have severe insulin resistance problems, low carbing is often just what you need.
Praised be Jesus Christ!
now and forever!
Dear web family…
I just ripped the carpets out of my
living room/ dining room/ stairway..
I have intact hardwood floors
that are completely covered with a
“70′s” yucky purple
basket-weave,
gummy-
glue-
hardened
clay-like
gunk
firmly one with the oak floor..
YIKES!
I have tried
vinegar,
water,
Murphy’s Oil Soap,
vegetable oil..
and lots of
elbow grease ….
scraping with putty /paint scrapers.
I think I may be at this for weeks,
and
I do not want to use any harsh chemicals…
I have children,
a cute Bichon Frise,
and a lovely Yellow Canary,
…I do not want to fumigate anyone..by the way, Loosening it with water, oil, or vinegar works a bit, but there is still the scraping and then the clean up and scrubbing with a stiff scrub brush, and Murphy’s..
The oil worked, but
posed a particular challenge ,
because the dog started licking it off the floor!
YUK!
any time saving ideas that are non toxic?
Thank you in advance,
Ellen from Buffalo,NY
Kerri at 10:32
You are not alone. We too are sending our girls to public school after years in Catholic school. I struggled with the decision, but academics are very important to DH and me, and the public schools are great. We moved to this area last year and our second daughter struggled in Kindergarten at the Catholic school, but blossomed during summer school at the public school. That helped me know that we made the right decision to switch.
As for battling the culture, we just emphasize our Catholic values as often as possible. Plus, every Sunday, they see the other public schooled kids at church, and that helps. Both my husband and I were public schooled, and we turned out fine. It is the home environment that really is the influence. You must remember that we are in charge.
Peace, Claudia
Aisha,
I completely know what you mean. Our son is 4months old and we area already exposing him to the Faith. He goes to Mass with us and we bless him. We take him up to be blessed during Holy Communion. (It is the cutest thing everytime a priest blesses him he gets a huge smile on his face if he is awake). We include him in our family prayer time. If you want feel free to email me at trghigliotti at gmail dot com. I am very interested in the concept of the domestic church and have done quite a bit of research into it and how to implement it.
To “Oops” Thank you for your prayers. You are right, there are so many things which are way too private, and since I am a private person by nature anyway, that makes it even more difficult to share. I have shared some with a very close friend, but I mostly feel that I am suffering alone and in silence. I was very uplifted this morning to think that you have been praying for us to the Blessed Sacrament. It really means a lot. So Thank you!
Pro-life curriculum:
http://www.goodshephsv.org/pro_life_mi.htm
I have not read the entire thing, but it has been highly recommended by trusted people. You may find some good ideas for introducing the subject of abortion.
Many parents fear their children will be horrified when you explain abortion to them. Remember, THEY SHOULD BE! Pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
Claudia,
I highly recommend “Faith and Life” by Ignatius Press, as well as religious titles available through Catholic Heritage Curriculum. You also can’t go wrong with the old Baltimore Catechisms!
Thinking of Slinging-
I have used just about everything! A ring sling, pocket sling, wrap, and ergo. So, here’s my thoughts: I love the pocket or ring sling for when babies are brand new. Nothing easier to slip them into when you’re out doing errands and will be in and out of the car. In fact, you just leave the sling on while you drive (like a sash), and baby pops in in less than 20 seconds. Baby can be held cradle-style while young, which is really good for their spines. And then as they grow, they can be put in facing you, or facing out, or on your hip. But when they get to be about 15-20 pounds (depending on you…), these can start to cause some back or shoulder fatigue if you plan on wearing a child for more than about 20 minutes. I really like the wrap myself when I’m going to wear a young baby for extended periods (rather than quick in-and-out errands), but because it does take some practice, it can seem intimidating to use, and my husband won’t touch it (but he will use a sling). The ergo is wonderful for when they get to be older and heavier (8-9 months or so). We used ours until baby was almost 2, when I was too pregnant to continue. In my opinion, it is too bulky to comfortably wear in the front or hip position–the slings and wrap are much nicer for those. (In winter, I like to put baby in the wrap and wear them zipped up inside my coat with me. When we lived in Alaska, this ensured baby stayed warm, even when it was 40 below outside!). But for babies who are 20 ounds or so, the ergo is the most comfortable option for wearing on the back, and my husband was a big fan as well. I hope this is helpful. (I know the ergo comes with a separate infant insert, but I would honestly recommend skipping that and spending that money on a sling of some sort to use for those early days. my opinion…)
Dani, this is great – thank you. Wish I could say more but it’s dinner-time this side of the Atlantic. Have a great day everyone!
I have a mei tai – an asian style baby carrier – that I just love. I bought it with my third because I need a truly hands-free carrier. I could rave on and on, but you can check it out yourself at babyhawk.com .
To Ellen,
I would try a citrus solvent, like “Goo Gone.” It works very well, but it does say on the bottle to keep it away from pets and children. And it makes the floors very oily, so you have to wash well with soap and water when you’re done.
There are non-toxic citrus solvents too. Check out this website:
http://www.citrusdepot.net/
We took up our 70′s era shag carpet five years ago, but all we had to deal with was 1 billion or so staples! Good luck!
Wood floors—the only non-toxic thing we did with our old ballroom oak floors was sand them down to real wood then refinish….Lots of work, yes. But so gorgeous when we got the old glue finish off of it. Then we finished it with a water-based seal. You could always wax it like 50 years ago, but I don’t know how well that wears in a busy household. Good luck!
Slings—I used the Nojo sling with great success—it took me a little bit to get used to it with my first, but it was the quickest thing to take on and off. Plus, each of my babies loved to sit in it cross-legged and look where we were going–kind of like a kangaroo. Ebay is a great place to find them for a good price.
I have tried to use the wrap/huge-fabric-slings-with-the-material- that-never-ends but I always feel as though I am wrapped up like a mummy. Not my favorite.
A new types of sling that I used with my last baby was called the “Sleepy Wrap” and “Baby Nest” carrier. They were both SO COMFORTABLE, and very easy to take on and off. Because the fabric is stretchy, I could work around the house and it distributed the weight evenly when my back felt delicate.
Hope that helps a little
Re Recess:
I am a (Full Day, I hear you loud and clear Mom with the Kindergartener, I dont’ like it either!) Kindergarten teacher in a Catholic School in a NYC suburb. When referring to recess, are you talking about actual time outside in the school yard? My class usually gets 20 minutes outside after 20 minutes of eating lunch inside. Plus, my class gets free play for about 20 minutes every day in the classroom. When we have bad weather the class stays in the classroom during recess and plays or watches a movie. We also have a 15 minute rest period every day.
If your First grader hasn’t had “recess”, is it because she has had half days this week?
has anyone ever purchased (or received) a “Soft Saint” for one of their children? I ask children typically receive about $100 on their birthdays, and I am looking for a way to buy them one nice thing as opposed to a bunch of garbage toys. I am especially interested in these dolls because they actually offer my children’s patron Saints (Jeanne d’arc, Kateri, Joseph, Maximilian, and Rose of Lima). I hate to spend that much on a doll, but perhaps they are worth it? What do you all think?
http://www.softsaints.com
Dear Kerri,
You aren’t odd man out. I homeschooled but my teens used the public High School.
Slings- If you’re broke or just want to try its just 3 yards of material and a knot. I used that for #4 bt I’m so short most slings and backpacks left me top heavy. I just sat them on my hip and live one handed.
Librarian— BLESS YOU! Collections of Saint books would be great. Our kids can read them all and we can just buy them the ones special to them. I’d also suggest the resource books: Harp and Laurel Wreath and A Catholic Homeschool treasury (Catholic Homeschool Companion? ) Sorry mine isn’t on the shelf!
Regarding Children’s Books:
The Catholic Children’s Treasure Box Books are excellent! I am using them with my two older sons (4 and 3) as we homeschool our first preschool year. There are plenty of stories in there for girls and boys alike (which is fortunate since I am in the same position as you–our first daughter arrives next month).
To Thinkin’ of Slingin’ –
I agree w/ Dani. I love the ring sling for when the babies are little, but also found that once they get around 15-20 lbs my shoulder starts to hurt after a few minutes. I just bought an ergo and love it! I did feel guilty at first dropping $100 on a baby carrier, but felt reassured after trying it out. I was able to carry my 30 lb. two year old son on my back comfortably on a 25 minute hike! I also have one of those baby backpack carriers w/a metal frame, and my shoulders were killing me within minutes! Just to give you a comparison…
I did buy the infant insert for smaller babies but have yet to use it, since #3 won’t be here til January. My ring sling only cost $18, so you might want to invest in both. Good luck!
To Kerri:
You are not the only one on this board who sends your children to public school! We do, and we’ve had a very positive experience with our public school, after a not so great experience at our parochial school. I too was very concerned that my children would turn into little heathens and be exposed to “bad” children and relativisitic teachers. But the truth is, there is no guarantee that anyone’s children will grow in the faith and become good holy Christians and remain that way throughout adulthood. I think it’s a mistake to believe that there is a “magic bullet”: if only we do this, than this will happen. It’s also a mistake to think that everyone else’s children are really good or really awful. You just don’t know. Jesus had a huge issue with the Pharisees and their outwardly show of religious fervor and false piety. As parents, all we can really do is live a good life, expose our children to the faith as best as we can, and be good examples of what it is to be a Catholic family. The rest is up to God.
I have tons of different kinds of wraps, slings, carriers. I have found http://www.thebabywearer.com to be extremely helpful. That site has reviews of carriers, tips and tricks and explains the pros and cons of all the differnt types. You have to register, just your e-mail and password and they never contact you.
I have also found http://www.mamatoto.org to be helpful when I was starting out and confused about certain positions.
I have two Maya ring slings, and I used those the least, the rings irritated me after awhile and I disliked having so much extra fabric flowing for the hip carry. I used it in the beginning. I did like the pocket so I could pop my keys in there and wallet and be ready to go. I have 2 Hotslings and my husband has two. We like those. Super easy for early months and hip carries. I also have a Didymos that I reallly, REALLY, like and a Moby Wrap that my husband insists is a must to any parent. He loves that thing.
I also used the Asian Baby Carrier called a Mei Tai a lot. I bought mine from a WAHM and I cannot say how helpful it is while vacuuming or cleaning up the kitchen!
I hope you find what you like.
Jeannie
Concerning sharing the birds and the bees,
I listened to a great talk (on CD) by Mary Flo Ridley called Shaping your Child’s Sexual Character. I think it has a great approach to picturing this “birds and bees talk” as an unveiling many layers a piece at a time; there shouldn’t just be ONE talk because by then it’ll be too late. You need to shape your child and share a little bit more each time you broach the subject….beginning with what kids are naturally curious about and already asking questions about.
Check it out at:
http://www.justsayyes.org/provider/mary_flo_ridley/shaping_child
to “thinking of college”
I highly suggest sending your son to college. Yes we need skilled trade workers but times have changed and it is very difficult to rely on work. My Dad was a laborer for 40 years (without a degree)and his company paid him well and took care of retirement. Companies simply are not doing that anymore. I am a Director in a placement firm and work with dozens of very big compaies throughout the US. When we talk with a candidate without a degree we tell them almost immediately that we will not be able to help them. You and I know very well that a degree after 15 years experience is simply a piece of paper hanging on the wall, but companies still like to hire those who have degrees. I have even worked with companies that are looking for Skilled Trades workers with degrees!
Good Luck!
Hi everyone, I just thought I would post today and let you know that I made a delicious cake. I am new to this whole grown-up, kitchen, baking, home-owning thing, so I am pretty impressed with myself that I have a recipe that works and pleases everyone and is versatile.
I named it the Birthday Breakfast Cake because I sincerely believe, deep down in my heart that everyone should get a lot of cake on her birthday. So you ought to make this cake for the morning and then, you know, some delicious chocolate creation for after dinner, or before dinner, or um…for dinner : )
The original recipe, the one I use, is gluten free, but if you’re one of those lucky people who can eat wheat flour, you can use that instead of rice flour. Also, I’ve used a gluten free baking mix purchased from “Gluten Free Naturals” instead of brown rice flour.
I was going to type up this big, long recipe (they don’t seem long until you try to type them), but my friend is visiting me and it is her birthday so we have some serious celebrating to do. I’ll post the recipe later, I promise!
Claudia:
A great source for “sex talks” is One More Soul, http://www.omsoul.com
Lots of products, including several just for teens.
I stepped on a rusty nail late Saturday. It left a tiny puncture where you can see the spot it went it. I am overdue for my next tetanus shot, but I am 3months pregnant. After doing some research on it online, the government agencies that make the vaccination of course promote it and say it’s completely safe. Other sites tell stories of women who repeatedly miscarried after recieving the shot, or women who got the shot at 3mo pregnant delivered a child with cerebral palsy.
Has anyone received this shot in pregnancy and not had any adverse reactions to it, either by you or your child?
Any advice? I am hoping to avoid getting it if I can, and maybe see if there is a blood test they can do to see if I have tetanus first….
Regarding public school:
Please remember that there are good influences at public school, too, although the best influence in a child’s life is his or her parents and THEIR values regarding faith, the culture and education itself.
We have had a good experience overall and while I have considered full-time homeschooling, I truly felt like my best role is to supplement my kids’ public school education with those things that only I (and my husband) can teach them–our faith, our love for literature and history, our belief system, our values.
These “subjects” are the ones I feel confident to teach. It’s the algebra and biology that I’m not competent to tackle
Another consideration: I actually don’t mind my kids getting other viewpoints, particularly regarding academics. They can thrive in that environment — as long as a parent’s hand is on the rudder.
I would recommend that you contact an OB, family doctor, or nurse who you trust and ask their advice. Medical advice cannot reasonably be obtained from anecdotes. And I would presume that most stories found on-line would convey bad outcomes and not the good/neutral ones. You never hear on the evening news about that thousands of children who go to school and come home daily without incident, only the ones who are harmed/abducted.
Good luck and God bless.
public school:
)
I was at one time a public school teacher and also a Catholic school teacher (both elementary level). Both had value, both had down sides, not the least of which is that sin problem we all have. I also know many families doing all sorts of schooling: home, Catholic, non-Catholic Christian, public. One of the most impressive families I have known (in terms of family unity, faith, obvious love for each other) had kids ranging in age from early elementary through high school and all the kids were in public school. I asked the mom how she did it and she said that they worked on developing a strong family culture…”this is the way WE do things because we are Catholic and we value these things”…and by being open an honest with them about how others do not share those values. This was done not in a self righeous way, but a way that helped the kids see that they were so blessed to have their faith and inspired them to pray for teachers, classmates, etc.
And to be blunt, and hopefully not offend anyone, some Catholic schools are more of a danger to our kids’ faith than the public school. Someone once said that it is better to fight for ones faith in an unfriendly environment, than to have it stolen in an apparently friendly one. (or something to that effect
going to college: I second the opinion that college is important. That doesn’t mean that it is not okay to take up a trade. Going to college, jr or university, proves to your future employer that you can learn, want to learn, and can work hard, among other things. This is what gets you in the door. Then you learn the skills that make you good at your chosen career, whatever it may be.
To midwest librarian,
I am also from the midwest, very small town midwest with a small library. There are not a lot of home school families in my area, and even fewer are Catholic home schoolers, one local family is my own. Our librarian is not Catholic, and there are very few Catholic books in our library I’m afraid. However, our librarian, a retired school teacher, is very pro-home schooling and very supportive of us. The way I use our library is to ask for materials through interlibrary loan. She will get anything for me I ask that she is able to get in our state. During the school year we are given the same kinds of *perks* schools are given, no fees for books on loan, for example. Another thing nice thing our librarian does for us is allows us to keep resources that come from our library for as long as we need them without due dates and penalties.
I suppose all these things can be done easier in a small town library, but they sure do help our family! It is just so nice to know that your librarian supports what you’re doing. Your concern shows that beautifully. Thank you for that for all the families you will be helping in the future.