I love that my work fits around the children and I love that they can sometimes see me making things for customers.
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| Little helper in the background |
The other day he came in, put on his little pair of ear muffs and spent an hour or more in the workshop.
He chatted to me, asked questions and started to build things out of my off cuts. Mainly he piled stuff up and called it different things, but so lovely to see him being creative like that. He made planes, bonfires and ramps.
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| Content little boy! |
Part of me feels bad that he is with me while I'm working but then I think it's also great for him to see. I have great memories of being a child with my dad as he worked while I was with him so I guess it goes full cycle.
What work do you remember doing with your parents growing up?
Unfortunately, I don't remember doing any work with either of my parents. When I became an adult and aware of the theory practiced in Montessori schools (that children have a great desire to do what adults do), I made a point to always include our daughter in any work activity I was doing that she wanted to participate in. I can so remember that I could have completed my many tasks (washing the floor, painting [she had her own boards to paint], doing dishes, baking and cooking, etc.) in less than half the time if she weren't "helping" me! Now, of course, I'm so glad I took that extra time with her. Don't think for a minute that your son isn't gaining more benefits than you might think from seeing you working, being with you and learning how to do even the simplest of things. Just look. He's already learned how to make planes, bonfires and ramps!!
ReplyDeleteI helped my mum alot, I can remember sitting on the bottom of a ladder whilst she wall papered the stairs. I was always in the garden with her. The only place she kept us out was the kitchen, it was a small room with a huge double fronted cooker which always was hot.
ReplyDeleteFear not Kevin, he will learn consciously and subliminally. I am an older lady but I was involved with all the household tasks from being a toddler. Dad made buffets in his spare time with an old treacle tin with glue in, this sat on the gas burner to get warm and I can remember being asked to give it a stir. In the house, although my mum worked full time, all the chores were completed at the weekend and by the age of nine I could mostly make a dinner. Cleaning was the same and I learned to iron doing the flats first . . . hankies and tea towels and if they were not perfect I had to start all over again. When I married and had a family all these different tasks were not strange to me. So let them watch and join in they look delightful children. Love Andie xxx
ReplyDeleteI don't know whether you have heard of it but there is a book called Harvey the Carpenter. Harvey appropriately is a beaver. In it he builds a child size tool box, or tote as the Americans call them. It's good to encourage their reading skills and an excellent to build with them as the plans are in it. So it encourages reading, maths, measuring and practical skills too.
ReplyDeletei worked right next to my father all the time. i knew every one of his tools and where they belonged. unfortunately, he never taught me how to do anything, he just yelled at me all the time. not all kids are as lucky as yours which is why it thrills me to see how you raise your kids!
ReplyDeleteKev, hop on over to my blog where I just wrote a post about my grandpa cutting his finger off with a table saw. There's no reason at all to feel badly about your little guy hanging out with you! This is such a sweet time for your family.
ReplyDeleteAnd if you want to use my grandpa as a cautionary tale, please go ahead. :)
Kev, are your daughters as able to do this if they wish? I know they are at school when you are probably in the workshop, so do you go into the workshop when they are back from school, so they can join in if they want?
ReplyDeleteOh yes. I tend to work on the weekends and when I get back from the school run I'll often have an hour in there as well. This all took place over half term so the girls have been in there as well.
DeleteI thought you might say that :)
DeleteI vividly remember the day I was entrusted to sandpaper the front of Grandpa's half built classical guitar for its next coat of schellac. I'd been 'helping' for some years by this time. I was about 11. He died when I was 12 and 50 years later...I still miss him! We always helped with stuff.
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