library fines

So who ever invented library fines. Seriously. If you are a mother with small toddlers or multiple kids you KNOW you will not be coming out of the library with less than 20 books. That's just the way it is. You see just one princess story will not do because then you will read that said one story at least 3 different times a day for the next 2 weeks and drive yourself completely nuts. Not only that you will then hate that particular book for the rest of your life. To avoid this problem you think "Hey I can get one book for each child, that way I'll have three books that I can rotate around in the reading pool." Oh Ho NO. That will not work because not only will you have to read so and so's book but their's as well. Then you will not be reading 1 book at least 3 times a day and thus hating that one book but you will be reading 3 books at least 3 times a day for the next 2-3 weeks thus hating 3 books for the rest of your life and not just the one. So you figure I'll get more. That way there will be a variety from the kids to choose from so you don't have to read all the checked out books everyday, multiple times a day. hahaha. That's where you will be in error because unless you get more than 5 books per child they will keep track of EVERY SINGLE BOOK and you will have to read EVERY SINGLE BOOK multiple times a day so instead of hating oh 3 books you will hate about 10-15. So awhile back in order to preserve my book loving status I set the number of books to check out between 20-25 childrens books every 3 weeks. yep that's what we do. It also has to be a set number that way I can count the books when we go back to the library so I know we are not missing one. Ahhh but here's the rub. If you have a hellish week and you can't make it out of the house to go grocery shopping let alone dragging 4 kids 3 and under to the library those library books end up overdue..... at $.20 a pop per day..... FOR 5 DAYS.... lets just say it adds up. We just bought the library several new childrens books.