pioneer farm project handmade by little rikrak / images by me : kristal davis / rikrak
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confession time:
now don't tell anyone, but i can be a super-over-bearing perfectionist-seeker of a mommy!
i know, you're probably not shocked, right sweeties? :)
we all want the best for the children in our lives.
i do too.
but sometimes i'm a meddling mommy.
i want to involve myself in every step of every project to make sure it's as perfect as perfect can be.
i'll admit: that's not always helpful. :)
so here's a proud mommying moment (and handmaking life lesson) i wanted to share with you all...
............
so little rikrak had a fun school project last month: the pioneer farm.
- first there was lots of adorable research. (think supercute little-one handwriting!)
- then trips to various hands-on sites. (feeding cows, visiting pioneer barns, touching great great great great grandfather-made tools. splendid!)
- then an essay rough copy. edit. & good copy.
- then practicing a fun interactive presentation.
- then building a beautiful model.
through all of it... i wanted to get my mommying 2-cents worth in. but the best lesson of all for me? as tough as it might be, let your little ONE shine!
if
you've ever been privy to a child working on a project, i think we can
all agree... it's VERY tempting to try and lend a hand (or lend many
hands!) , especially as obstacles arise.
but i had
personally decided to be the most hands-off, support from the side kinda
helper i could be for this project. i could see the excitement in
little rikrak's eyes as he brainstormed fabulous idea after fabulous
idea, many of which i couldn't have thought of.
we all have our own fabulous perspectives, don't we?!
needless to say i'm over the moon proud of little rikrak's hard work and creative figurings on his latest life project.
and just look at this wonderful DIY model!
the cute handcut bales of hay.
the fun pipe cleaner oxen yoke.
the handmade, not factory-made or mommy-made wonderfully child-drawn marker lines on the barn roof.
he MADE that.
what joy there is in that sentiment, for each of us!
many a time i wanted to get in there and "fix" or "alter" or "adjust" something.
BUT i KNOW there is great learning, and beauty, in the handmade. "imperfections" and all.
it's a value our family shares deeply.
sometimes my quest for perfection as a mommy invades that ethic.
i struggle with it.
i know some day we'll
have to dismantle this fabulous model (unless we can build a *museum for everything little rikrak has handmade* 3rd floor addition to our home!
mr.rikrak?)
but for now i just look at it all day on my desk and smile.
and best of all: the pride on his face for a project he handmade. that's a wonderful thing, indeed!
isn't it magical when little ones work hard, overcome challenges and see a project thru with vim & vigour.
well done, sweetie pie. i'm so proud of you.
(and don't you love the open-up barn roof and removable hay loft? makes for hours of fun playing, let me tell you!)
did i tell you how i FORCED us to watch little house on the prairie episodes as bonus *research?* LOVE IT!
tell us something you're proud of in your little ones' lives.
how do you step back and let the little ones in YOUR life shine?
yay to handmade families.
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pioneer farm project handmade by little rikrak / images by me : kristal davis / rikrak
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