Baby Book Clubs

Dún Laoghaire Ratdown Libraries   are expanding their baby book clubs. For 2016 baby book clubs will run in Dalkey, Blackrock, dlr LexIcon and Stillorgan Libraries

They run 1 morning per month (similar to adult book clubs) and the focus is primarily on books and reading, as well as rhymes, singing and sometimes some very simple craft based exercise.

For the first four months in each library they will be facilitated by an external practitioners, author Sarah Webb and journalist Sara Keating will be facilitating up till May. Please click for full details.

Babies love Books

Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council run a baby book gifting scheme called ‘Babies Love Books’ . Every child born in the county is entitled to a free book bag, which includes a colourful board book, that can be in English or Gaeilge, if preferred. The bag also includes recommended reads for children and information on how to join dlr libraries. The public health nurses give parents an ‘invite’ card to collect their free book bag at their local library, however this is not strictly necessary and as parents of young children can collect the baby books bag with or without this invite card. The book bag is available to all children up to the age of 3yrs.

More information on Babies Love Books

Transition to Primary School

The following publication is useful for parents who are preparing their children for making the transition from a n early years service to primary school –Going to Big School

Useful Resources

The Family Support Agency and Barnardos have launched Parenting Positively — a set of 9 booklets aimed at supporting parents of children aged 6-12 years through a range of parenting challenges. In addition to a booklet on general parenting skills, aimed at helping parents better understand and support their children’s development, the series also deals with some of the more complex life issues facing parents. The free booklets cover themes such as death, separation, domestic abuse and bullying.


Parenting Preschoolers and Young Children By John Sharry, Gráinne Hampson and Mary Fanning; Cartoons by John Byrne

In Parenting Preschoolers and Young Children you will find practical advice on how to deal with the very real challenges of caring for youngchildren.As well as offering helpful tips on how to stimulate a child intellectually in terms of improved
concentration and language development, it also offers sound advice on handling behavioural problems like temper tantrums and defiance. Emphasising an approach to parenthood that praises rather than criticises Parenting Preschoolers and Young Children is an accessible and indispensable guide for those bringing up young children.

Help my kid learn is a useful website developed by the National Adult Literacy Agency which is packed full of useful tips and ideas on how to promote your child’s early learning.