Family Education: Story Time

My name is Madi Brauer (they/them) and I joined the Helping Services team this fall as a family educator serving in Allamakee, Howard, and Winneshiek counties.

Part of my duties as a family educator includes recruiting families to join our program and to educate families on child development. One of my favorite ways to do this is through Story Time at the library. Currently, I have been going to the libraries in Decorah and Waukon. 

Story Time brings new experiences and challenges every week. You never know who’s going to show up, or how long the kids want to be read to that day. We read through a few books and then do an activity together. To keep it centered on child development, I try to find crafts or other things that work on any cognitive or motor skills. The goal is to promote interaction between the parent and child, and give the parents some simple ideas/activities that they can use at home.

My favorite part of story time is finding an activity that the kids get excited about, even if it’s for a few minutes. I have really enjoyed getting to know community members that come to story time.

If you have questions or would like more information contact me at 563-387-1720 or mbrauer@helpingservices.org. Make sure to check our Facebook page for future events. 

Hope to see you there!