Parents lift their toddlers in the air as they sing "What Shall I Do
With The Baby."
The Leroy Collins Leon County Public Library held its weekly Baby Time and Story Time (BTST) event Tuesday morning.
This free event is held every Tuesday and Wednesday from 10:30-11 a.m., welcoming all parents with infants up to 2 years old.
The BTST program is in its fourteenth year and is designed to develop the minds of infants as they participate in librarian-led short stories and songs.
Youth Services Coordinator Mary Douglas led the event. She has been a part of BTST since their 2001 inception. Their mission remains the same: to connect.
“Their brains are starting to develop and we know between zero and five that the babies are just growing and learning all kinds of things, so this is one thing we could do,” Douglas said.
Terrence Henderson is a father of three who often attends Baby Time, and has been since the first day.
“I have a 13-year-old daughter and I brought her to the first thing here. I try to keep up with it to keep all three of my kids in this environment,” Henderson said.
He was in attendance with his 2-year-old, Zaden.
Mary started by leading the group in interactive exercises before reading to them. She reads the same two books every week so the babies can understand better. Those books are “I Love Animals”, and the childhood classic, “Maisy Makes Lemonade”.
After reading, she leads them in a “quartet of songs,” singing favorites such as: “Baba Black Sheep”, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, “ABCs”, and “Old McDonald”.
“Zaden loves it, which is the reason I am trying to get here even more, he sings it throughout the week,” Henderson stated.
BTST does not only develop the children's brains, but it also develops friendship among the other babies and parents.
“What I enjoy is just seeing all of the mothers or grandmothers and babies all interact with each other,” said Sue Marquez, grandmother of 1-year-old, Wyatt.
Parents are encouraged to bring their infants to Baby Time and Story Time every Tuesday or Wednesday from 10:30-11 a.m., to watch and help their baby grow and develop.
For more information about Baby Time and Story Time contact the Leroy Collins Leon County Public Library at 850-606-2706.