Your Family, Your Library
Stay Connected
Your Family, Your Library
Your Family, Your Library is a podcast produced by Skokie Public Library. Our Youth Services staff chat about their experiences as parents and recommend library resources for caregivers looking for support!
Meet the Team
Learn more about our co-hosts and the behind-the-scenes staff who bring you this monthly series.
Katie Fox, Co-Host
Katie is a Youth Services librarian who enjoys books, good coffee (and lots of it) and riding around town on her pink bike.
Caitlin Savage, Co-Host
Caitlin is a Youth Services librarian and book devotee who aspires to live up to the gold librarian standard of cozy cardigans, sassy glasses, and hard candies.
Amber Hayes, Producer
Amber is the Communications Coordinator, which means she's on the internet a lot. When she's not reading a bunch of romance or fantasy books, she can be found yelling about soccer.
Paul Knutson, Audio Engineer
Paul is the staff videographer and podcast engineer for Skokie Public Library. When he isn't yelling "action", he's likely telling corny jokes, or speaking in quotes.
Listen to the Show
Show Notes
Find links and information referenced in each month's episode.
Nature in our Community Part II
Katie and Caitlin wrap up their conversation with naturalist Amanda Krause. They chat about the history behind lawns and how families can get started with native plants.
- Illinois Spotted Lanternfly
- Landscaping Guides by Yard Type
- Lawn Alternatives
- Teen Climate Crew: Prairie Restoration (Monday, October 14)
- BOOMbox
- Transcript
Nature in Our Community Part I
Caitlin and Katie are joined by Amanda Krause, naturalist at Oakton College. They discuss how families can volunteer and have a relationship with nature, even the icky bugs!
- Your Family, Your Library: Caregiver Conversation (Thursday, September 26)
- Climate Change STEAM Projects for Families (Saturday, September 14)
- Selected Plants that Threaten Chicagoland Natural Areas
- Do Lessons in Nature Boost Subsequent Classroom Engagement? Refueling Students in Flight (Frontiers in Psychology)
- Natural Areas Here Among the Most Biodiverse in Nation (Chicago Tribune)
- Books for Adults
- American Green: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn by Ted Steinberg
- Bringing Nature Home by Douglas Tallamy
- Oak: The Frame of Civilization by William Bryant Logan
- Nature's Best HopeNature's Best Hope by Douglas Tallamy
- The Nature of Oaks by Douglas Tallamy
- Spotted Lanternfly from the Illinois Department of Agriculture
- Book Recommendations for Families
- Wild Things Conference
- Transcript
Sibling Dynamics
Does birth order determine your child's personality? Katie and Caitlin discuss their experiences with birth order and how they introduced a new sibling to their older children.
- Summer Reading
- Bookmobile Events
- Recommended Books
- New Baby Picture Books
- Siblings Picture Books
- Transcript
Taking Care of You and Your Partner
It can seem almost impossible to take care of yourself when you're being pulled in many different directions. It can seem even harder to invest in your own relationship. Caitlin and Katie share how they take care of themselves and their challenges and successes when it comes to making time for their marriages.
- LOTE4Kids
- Summer Reads for Kids
- Wednesdays on the Green series
- Summer Reading 2024
- Recommended Books
- Transcript
Burnout
What exactly is burnout? Katie and Caitlin get real about how they're feeling, and explore some ways to manage burnout.
- Articles
- Burn-out an "occupational phenomenon": International Classification of Diseases (World Health Organization)
- Anne Helen Petersen on changing your relationship to work and the guardrails that can prevent burnout (TED)
- Burnout (Psychology Today)
- 7 Ways to Recover from Burnout (Psychology Today)
- The Surprising Difference Between Stress and Burnout (Psychology Today)
- How to Avoid Burnout When You Have Little Ones (The New York Times)
- Burnout: High-Functioning Kids Can Still Be at Risk (Psychology Today)
- Jump-Start Your Summer Reading (Thursday, May 30)
- Our Bookmobile and Book Bike
- Recommended Books
- Transcript
Meet the Crew (Our One Year Anniversary)
Caitlin and Katie introduce the behind-the-scenes team as the group reflects on their one-year anniversary and parenting adventures.
Reflecting on Parenting
Our hosts reminisce on parenting myths they've heard over the years.
- The Longest Shortest Time
- Wonder Weeks
- Week of the Young Child
- Spring Break at the Library
- Book Recommendations
- Transcript
When Things Get Scary
Caitlin and Katie share how they talk to their children about scary, and challenging events. They also share resources to help start the conversation.
- Family Movies and Sensory-Friendly Movies at the Library
- Kanopy Kids
- Book Recommendations
- Caring and Emotions Picture Books
- Picture Books for Tough Times
- Sesame Workshop
- Practicing Comfort Strategies
- Understanding and Explaining Change
- What Changes and What Stays the Same
- Talking to Children When Scary Things Happen (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
- How to Talk to Kids about Violence, Crime, and War (Common Sense Media)
- Transcript
Creating Boundaries
Katie and Caitlin kick off the new year by discussing boundaries. They chat about their struggles and how to create boundaries, both as children and adults.
Failure and Empathy
Youth Services librarian Mandy joins Caitlin and Katie to chat about failure, fitting in, and building empathy.
- Fred Rogers Educators' Neighborhood
- How to Stop Worrying About What Other People Think of You (Harvard Business Review)
- How to Help Kids Learn to Fail (Child Mind Institute)
- Book Recommendations
- Winter Break Activities at the Library
- Hellosaurus BingePass
- Transcript
Climate Change and Climate Anxiety
Katie and Caitlin share how climate change as affected them and how families can work to address it.
- Holiday Boutique
- CreativeBug
- Teen Climate Cafe (Tuesday, December 5)
- Articles
- The Uninhabitable Earth (New York Magazine)
- Community Power Drives Climate Solution (Project Drawdown) 15-Minute Cities Climate Solution (NPR)
- What Do Climate Scientists Tell Their Kids about the Future? (Scientific American)
- Sustainability in Skokie
- Collective Resource Compost Cooperative
- Green Bexley
- Science Moms
- Girls in STEM at the Museum of Science and Industry
- Book Recommendations for Kids
- Book Recommendations for Adults
- Transcript
Bedtime Challenges and Reading Instruction
- Library Resources
- Halloween Costume Parade (Tuesday, October 31, 10:30 am)
- Family Book Club: Haylee and Comet (Thursday, November 30, 6:30 pm)
Grow a Reader - TumbleBook Library for Kids
- Wonderbook Collection
- World Languages at the Library
- Storytimes
- Information on Literacy in the United States
- The Science of Reading: The Basics (National Center on Improving Literacy)
- Sold a Story (American Public Media Report)
- National Achievement-Level Results (National Assessment of Educational Progress)
- Literacy Gap Map (Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy)
- New York Times: Connections
- Waffle Game
- Book Recommendations: Bedtime Challenges
- Book Recommendations: Reading Instruction
- Transcript
Caitlin and Katie share bedtime woes, their own and their children's, and Caitlin gives an overview on a reading instruction event hosted by the library.
How to Be a Friend
Katie and Caitlin take a look at how children make friends and how that differs from how children make friends.
- Bilingual Storytime and Craft: Spanish (Tuesday, September 26, 1:30 pm)
- Nature Play (Mondays at 10:30 am)
- Together Time (Wednesdays at 10:30 am)
- Book Recommendations
- Friendship Picture Books at the Library
- 5 Easy Tips for Making Friends as an Adult (NPR)
- How to Show Your Friends You Love Them, According to a Friendship Expert (NPR)
- Making Friends is Easy When You're Young, But It Can Be Harder as You Age (NPR)
- Why a Stranger's Hello Can Do More than Just Brighten Your Day (NPR)
- Transcript
Post-Pandemic School
Community Engagement Librarian Lorrie joins Katie and Caitlin to discuss how the pandemic has affected the school year.
It Takes a Village
Community Engagement Supervisor Holly shares all of the community resources available to parents.
- Library
- Early Childhood Resources
- Articles
- Mounting Evidence of Advantages for Children with Working Mothers (New York Times)
- What Research Says about Being a Stay-at-Home Mom (Very Well Family)
- Yes, Being a Working Mom is Good for Your Kids. Here's Why (Fortune)
- In Illinois Child Care Costs Eclipse Rent in Making it One of the Least Affordable States (Chalkbeat Chicago)
- In Illinois, Can Families Afford Child Care (Child Care Aware)
- The Summer Care Gap (New America)
- Case Study: Care in Illinois (New America)
Summer Fun
- Legally Blonde Jr.: Teen Summer on Broadway (Monday, July 3, 2 pm)
- Legally Blonde Jr.: Teen Summer on Broadway (Monday, July 3, 6:30 pm)
- Mexican Folk Dance: A Performance and Lesson (Friday, July 7)
- Early Childhood Alliance Summer Guide
- Summer learning loss: What is it, and what can we do about it? (Brookings Institution)
- Summer learning loss: What we know and what we’re learning (NWEA)
- Rethinking summer slide: The more you gain, the more you lose (Kappan)
- Cosmic Kids Yoga (YouTube)
- Write. Right. Rite. With Jason Reynolds (YouTube)
- Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems! (YouTube)
- Summer Reading at Skokie Public Library
- Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
- West Ridge Nature Park
- The Grove in Glenview
- Booklists:
- Transcript
- Social Anxiety
Caitlin and Katie share how they react to social situations and how children can cope with their anxiety.
- Weekend Storytime (Saturday, May 27)
- Family Book Club: The Elephants Come Home (Wednesday, May 31)
- Book Recommendations
- Summer Reads for Kids
- 10 Tips for Parenting Anxious Kids (Child Mind Institute)
- Parenting Anxious Kids (Child Mind Institute)
- What is Social Anxiety (Child Mind Institute)
- Transcript
Katie and Caitlin chat about what they love about the summer and fun things families can do.
Big Feelings
- Library Dance Party (every Tuesday)
- Campfire Fun (Friday, May 5)
- Book Recommendations
- Transcript
Katie and Caitlin talk about big feelings and how to respond to them.