New year, new resolutions
by Kate Much, Public Service Librarian
Do the words “I resolve to quit smoking, lose weight and exercise more this year” sound familiar?
Too often my resolutions don’t make it past noon on New Year’s Day, so this year, my family has decided to make family resolutions.
We resolve to strengthen our family unit, learn a new skill and get a better handle on our finances.
The many resources at Natrona County Public Library can help our family and yours in meeting our goals.
Strengthening our family unit
Even after 23 years of marriage, there is always room for improvement in our relationship and parenting skills. The library has many books to help couples improve or maintain their marriages.
“What Smart Couples Know: The Secret to a Happy Relationship” by Patricia Covalt will help explain Emotional Intelligence -- the ability to perceive, use, understand and manage emotions, resulting in clearer communication.
John Gottman’s “Ten Lessons to Transform Your Marriage” includes strategies to navigate times of conflict without damage.
Additional materials can help us survive our son’s upcoming teen years. Sheryl Feinstein’s “Parenting the Teenage Brain” gives insight into teens’ mentality and emotions, with heavy doses of common sense and humor thrown in.
“A Parent's Guide To Building Resilience In Children And Teens” by Kenneth Ginsburg will help teach our teen to make wise decisions, recognize and build on his natural strengths, deal effectively with stress, foster hope and optimism and, most importantly, avoid risky behaviors.
The library has an excellent selection of parenting books and movies to help from pregnancy all the way through the “empty nest.”
Learning a new skill
This year, we want to learn to fly fish. Boyd Pfeiffer’s “Complete Photo Guide to Fly Fishing: 300 Strategies, Techniques, And Insights” will help us get a handle on the sport, while Ken Retallic’s “Flyfisher's Guide to Wyoming” points out great fishing spots.
Not everyone is interested in fishing, so we have books to help you learn to knit, use a computer, carve wood, cook, remodel your house, speak French or acquire almost any skill that interests you.
Managing finances
This may not be a fun goal, but it is an important one for many families.
Some of the books topping our list this year are “Your Complete Retirement” by Ed Slot, “Money CAN Buy Happiness: How to Spend to Get the Life You Want” by M.P. Dunleavey and “Big Payoff: 8 Steps Couples Can Take to Make the Most of Their Money -- And Live Richly Ever After” by Sharon Epperson.
All these and more are available at your library.
In an effort to help everyone with finances, the library is planning several personal finance workshops for 2008, beginning with “So ... how’s your credit?” on Jan. 23 at 6:30 p.m.
Whether or not you choose to make New Year’s resolutions, your library can help you learn about any subject of interest to you, from fixing your car to keeping current on politics. Visit your library in the New Year to discover a world of possibilities.