Sometimes on your mid-week journey, you really want to do the big, cool thing with your kids, but you're not sure you can handle the entire project. You know, the anticipation, the excitement over every jot and tittle, and then the big, big mess and clean-up afterwards. It's fun. It's memorable. It's awesome. It's exhausting sometimes.
But then you might realize that they might be able to do this project on their own. Maybe instead of a school project it should be a kid project. Maybe they already have the skills needed to complete the project on their own and just need an occasional (safety & helper) supervisor.
Bet they'll be even more excited sometimes to do it by themselves than with you.
Painful, a bit, but true.
This happened to me a few weeks ago. We were studying chocolate and I had planned to make cookies with the kids, using the Nestle Toll House recipe that we were reading about ... but, cookies. I'm not a neat baker and never fail to destroy my entire kitchen in the pursuit of these happy morsels.
Then I realized: the kids are really good at mixing up baked goods. They can probably do it on their own.
I was willing to risk it, and so, to town they went. They did the entire project together, as you can see.
My Little Man was the safety instructor, careful to remind his sister that the safety latch needed to be turned on the mixer before using. My Big Helper was the recipe reader and stuff-reacher, having a bit more practice in measuring some of the ingredients.
As I hovered in the background, answering the occasional question and being in awe of their teamwork during this project, I realized that they knew what to do. They can follow a basic recipe. Well, as long as it doesn't involve any poured liquid ingredients, because I haven't taught them how to measure those yet.
After donning her protective gear - apron - My Big Helper even managed to crack all the eggs and wear none of them. The finished product was excellent, judging from how fast their daddy ate them up, and both kids were happy to wash their few dishes while I baked the cookies.
In the end, this worked out for all of us: the kids reveled in their independence, I enjoyed seeing the fruits of our baking times together, and we all enjoyed tasty cookies in the end. Their independence added zest to our week without overwhelming any of us. I will definitely be on the watch for more projects that they might be ready to handle. What activities or projects might your children be ready to tackle on their own?
Last week Ashley from Embracing Beauty linked up a post about a March photo challenge. I'm no photographer, but I love looking for those special shots that might fit a theme. Doing so really helps me focus in on the small but beautiful things I might otherwise overlook! To find out how to participate in this photo challenge, visit Embracing Beauty - and Ashley, please visit our Inspired Wednesday page and take the "I was featured on Washed Up Inspired Wednesdays' button back with you.
Renee G., you've won a custom planner from Tatorbug Creations! Watch out for an email with instructions about how to claim your prize. :-)
Renee G., you've won a custom planner from Tatorbug Creations! Watch out for an email with instructions about how to claim your prize. :-)
I'm offering a new copy of Robin Lee Hatcher's new Betrayal to one lucky entrant this week. :-) Link up, follow along, or share this post to enter!
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This is something that I need to practice. I do not allow my children to craft or experiment without me hovering often enough. Thank you for such a great post and encouragement.
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