tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post4569291114231740731..comments2024-03-26T07:07:14.304-07:00Comments on Teacher Tom: The Courage To Screw Things UpTeacher Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14606781724784785338noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-15703018345598882202011-09-19T15:44:58.604-07:002011-09-19T15:44:58.604-07:00Yeah something like this would make me nervous but...Yeah something like this would make me nervous but my four year old, almost five, wants to crack the egg and put it in the frying pan. I figured out that the best time to have her do it is right before the pan gets hot enough for the oil to splutter. She wants to try all sorts of stuff and it's really a prime time for learning, they are interested and eager, it will take a lot of supervision of course but you are teaching them skills to be independent, as someone once said, part of the job as parent is to work yourself out of business.Akemanartisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03259382360767830520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-75925848578651755022010-07-26T07:45:50.533-07:002010-07-26T07:45:50.533-07:00I have three girls. Three granddaughters to a man ...I have three girls. Three granddaughters to a man who had very little patience with teaching me how to use tools. As a result, I've always had the curiosity but never the training with power tools. Dad and my husband were more than willing to take my plans and ideas and make them into reality. In the last few months, I've found www.knockoffwood.com and a close friend who wanted to make a project together. We planned, we purchased, became very good friends with the cabinet maker who moonlighted (moonlit?) at Home Depot, studied and played with power tools, messed up, tried again, messed up AGAIN, tried again and finally finished adirondack chairs for our kids. Then we started on the finish.... <br /><br />Both of us agree that we learned more from the mistakes than doing it right. The confidence that we built and the joy that I have every time my kids or husband tells people, "My wife/mommy made these all by herself" is incredible. <br /><br />The girls are "helping" me build them a toy chest. We have decided that a distressed finish may be best with all the wonderful nail and hammer marks.Kristihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11297293046326888936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-25061009534988458012010-07-26T00:58:21.902-07:002010-07-26T00:58:21.902-07:00I'm a follower of your blog and normally read ...I'm a follower of your blog and normally read through Google Reader, but today I had to click on your blog and leave a comment.<br /><br />You spoke of "fear of failure" with regards to DIY - I feel this with baking! I am a 32 year old woman who, until six months ago, would not bake a loaf of bread for fear of screwing it up. I realised how stupid this sounded when chatting with other Mums. <br /><br />I will happily home educate my kids - which plenty of people see as very risky - but wouldn't mix some ingredients together....madness. <br /><br />So now I try and more often than not fail, but it's OK, because it's a process and I will get there one day.<br /><br />Thanks for this and many other posts - I love your blog.kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12708429699005394771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-43031613875941099322010-07-24T15:10:51.724-07:002010-07-24T15:10:51.724-07:00You are so right, Tom. I love for kids to take som...You are so right, Tom. I love for kids to take some risks and make some mistakes as they find out how things work or how to accomplish their ideas. And yet, I avoid using tools since I can create a lot of chaos with them. (And I'm a guy!) But, when I have ventured into that realm, I do accomplish some things...and learn a lot of things. You have inspired me--by recent posts including this one--to try more of those things. Although I'm not sure my wife is ready for me to use power tools...maybe just the hand tools for now!Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11397525011462974857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-72786099976513287942010-07-24T14:28:08.879-07:002010-07-24T14:28:08.879-07:00Letting yourng kids learn this process - screwing ...Letting yourng kids learn this process - screwing up, getting frustrated, thinking your way to another solution, trying again 0 is an awesome lesson in real life. It's wonderful to hear what you do at your coop. I find, as a parent, I often avoid giving things to my kids that I know will be hard for them, make them scream with frustration, because I always think I have to prevent and stop the screaming. I am learning to let them scream with frustration, name the feeling, suggest trying again then or later. ANd its working wonders. My kids get frustrated with lego and things like that. Hammers - under their beds!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-55790328880306925462010-07-24T10:47:09.221-07:002010-07-24T10:47:09.221-07:00Haha - I am still at the burning stage.Haha - I am still at the burning stage.skettyd@yahoo.comhttp://www.deborahjstewart.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-29336597878808594672010-07-24T10:45:02.766-07:002010-07-24T10:45:02.766-07:00This is so true, as a single mom with 4 children, ...This is so true, as a single mom with 4 children, i became very good at messing up and then getting it right; and the journey to accepting that was difficult but rewarding in the end. it has evolved into understanding and delighting in children's need to use things in ways that we probably have never consdidered.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-16465011812681821822010-07-24T10:34:49.565-07:002010-07-24T10:34:49.565-07:00I think you're spot on Deborah. This goes for ...I think you're spot on Deborah. This goes for cooking, sewing, crafting, building, computers, art . . . everything that requires us to use any kind of tool (which is really just the old word for technology, right?). I mean, I'm a pretty good cook now, but I burned a lot of stuff learning how to do it! =)Teacher Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14606781724784785338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-22617252191753074682010-07-24T09:57:31.771-07:002010-07-24T09:57:31.771-07:00Tom,
As I was reading your post, it reminded me al...Tom,<br />As I was reading your post, it reminded me also of technology in general. The other day, my nephew walked over to my lap top and touched the mouse. My daughter immediately said, "no, no Wyatt," for fear he might mess something up. The teachers at the schools are afraid to push buttons on their own computers for fear they might mess something up. And the excuse for not having technology- whether it may be a hammer or a computer is often that something might just get messed up. I agree with you - instead of making a list of all we need but never use (because something might get messed up) - We should gather our tools as we go along, actually use them, and if they get messed up - then we will learn to fix it:) Yes you sparked a cord with me this morning!!Deborahhttp://www.deborahjstewart.comnoreply@blogger.com