Was in a queue at the Post Office yesterday. Alongside the front of the queue was a stand of children's books for sale. I happened to watch a lady, with a young (possibly 2 -3 yrs old) child approach the book stand. She casually looked thru the books and showed the child. When he took an interest in one, she took the book and child over to the chairs (in front of desks for you to sit out whilst filling out forms etc) sat down and read the book to the child. Once finished, she put the book back on the shelf.
I felt like telling her the library is down the road.
Very cheeky in my opinion. There's a difference between flicking through the book to see if it would be suitable for purchase (which I did last week in a newsagents) and actually sitting down and reading it to the child. I wouldn't have the cheek.
Husband, two teenagers, Stanley & Jed the greyhounds, one quail (Hawkefrost), one budgie (Chaos) small productive surburban section.
That's what libraries are for! I hate to complain about anyone reading a book to a child ever, but someone is going to buy that book as 'new' and would be very disappointed to find fingerprints, bent pages etc after they have bought it.
It's definitely not about thrift. Thrift means taking your child to the library.
going to the library I have found a few kids books that I flicked through while I am there and think they look good but when I read them in full at home I do not like them at all. So I do read through any kids books before I buy them, I don't read them to my child in the shop and I am very careful to not damage or mark the book in any way.
Maybe she had some to kill waiting for someone else, and kept her child occupied? Maybe the child was tired/cranky and this was a good way for her to keep the child quiet in a public place, and she took her time choosing a book which would hold the child's interest? Just a few other thoughts....
]