When Kids Sew

Trying to keep the kids busy this summer without destroying my house, watching too much tv, or taking every ounce of my time, has been challenge.  Lately, I've been learning about Montessori style of education and it seems to me that this style would be great for a mom who feels overwhelmed by her kids' constant need for entertainment and the amount of toys all over the floor that barely get played with. 

 I still have a lot of quesitons swirling around my head as to how this is going to look in my house and whether or not I need to get rid of half of our toys, but what I have found is that kids LOVE to learn practical life skills and that is very, very good for them to do so.  Learning to master simple tasks empowers them and gives them a sense of purpose and satisfaction that they won't get after watching Mary Poppins for the 3rd time this week.

So, I started Liam (5) and Analee (3) on sewing. They've mastered lacing, so a needle and thread was the next developmental step.  It's amazing how much fun they had with a couple yards of remnant fabric and a needle and thread.  When Analee stuck that needle into the fabric for the first time and was able to pull it out the other end, the look of satisfaction on her face was priceless. A sweet smile spread across her usually stoic face.  After a few stitches, she was so proud of her self, she even did the "Montessori sigh"-- that sound of work well done. 

Liam came up with this project all on his own. He cut it out and sewed it together almost completely independent of me.  It's a baby carrier for Analee to carry her doll around. She didn't want to put it on for the camera, so Liam's modeling it himself.  He is so proud out it!

Next we're putting together a mini wood shop for him with a few pieces of wood to hammer real nails with a real hammer.   I'll post on it when it's up and running.