I was thinking this morning that we get lots of lovely comments from people about what our children get up to.
The vast majority cost us so little, just time (something I know not everyone has).
Today was the perfect example of that...
I was outside with the Boy, all week he's talked about making a Pinocchio puppet. I've no idea what has given him the idea, but he wanted to turn it's body on the lathe and the head, the arms and legs were to just be dowel.
He loves any excuse to get on the lathe.
When we went in for lunch the ladies of the house had been baking. Our eldest had made up some pastry the day before and left it in the fridge for a night. she was baking a lemon meringue pie (with 6 lemons in!)
The Middlest was baking a carrot cake. Not what she'd set out to bake, but she was working with the ingredients we had (and trying to save a shopping trip for one of us).
So all of these things have given our children a real sense of achievement for the wet Sunday. and really all they cost was the time of their parents. I even got a little work in while the boy was on the Lathe as I don't want to be his shadow as he works, so long as he's working safely I let him carry on until he has a question.
I'm not sure what their memories will be of their childhood, but they've certainly given me some good ones of them growing up.
Although neither of my two girls show much interest in my garage where I do my woodworking, once upon a time when they were younger they came out, found a bucket of scraps and a handful of bent nails and went to town. It made me proud to see them using their imagination.
ReplyDeleteI love that simple play. The girls haven't spent as much time as the Boy in there, but they like to have a project on the go. They're supposed to be carving a feather each but haven't got round to finishing it yet. Now the evenings are lighter it might be something they could do again. I have a few projects they could get involved with as well.
DeleteI will say that it manifests itself in different ways. All of my girls "helped" in the garden at one time, though none of them really stuck with it. That said, they all are prolific growers of house plants on their own.
Deletei don't know if you now this but in the states people pay astronomical amounts of money to send their kids to schools to learn what you are teaching you kids at home. maybe you and your wife should start a school!
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of school? My wife and I would kindof love that, but I'm not sure how on board people would be when we remove screen time...
Delete6 eggs in the tart, must be the Mary Berry recipe, your children are having a perfect childhood, well done to you and your wife.
ReplyDelete6 Lemons, I don't know how many eggs! But quite a few I'd bet. We have so many at the moment.
DeleteA family that most would give their right hand to have. If you could share your thoughts on parenting in a book or magazine article it would be a benefit. Parenting is so natural to you and your children are blossoming. So many families are dysfunctional.
ReplyDeleteThey say you reap what you sow; now you get to eat those delicious pastries. You deserve them!
That's really kind, but I'm not sure anyone would read it. I think my wife and I are very old school really. The key thing is to back each other, and be consistent I think. I'm lucky I've got to spend so much time with them when they were young.
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