I've been teaching my eight year old how to use the
sewing machine. My general rule has been that as soon as they can reach the
pedal and concentrate enough so they don't sew their fingers together they can
start learning but one day, years ago, I'd been sewing and left the room
briefly and came back to find my two year old son kneeling on the chair in
front of the sewing machine. He'd put a piece of material under the needle and was
waiting there, mesmerised - fortunately, I'd automatically turned off the power
before I'd left the room. The look he had on his little face as he sat waiting
for something to happen was priceless. He had the same
look a few years later when he walked in front of his dad while they pushed the
lawn mower together, and again when he lit a fire and used an axe for first
time, and later when he was finally entrusted with the chainsaw.
'Or think of the mischief a good shovel, an axe or
chainsaw, and a mattock can do. If you teach your kids how to use them, they
might – use them………….That would show the dangerous virtue of initiative.’
'We can stress to such an extraordinary degree the
safeguarding of Johnny's knee or pate, that we can leave his imagination wholly
undeveloped.'
My husband's uncle is a toolmaker by background and
wherever he goes, he fixes things or invents stuff. He keeps me supplied with good sharp little scissors and other handy gadgets, and it was his influence, encouragement
and projects that triggered my husband’s interest in pursuing a career in electrical
engineering.
'The quickest way to prevent children from developing
their ingenuity is to keep them away from adults who know how to do things. We
can do this the more readily by repeating to ourselves the truism that Safety
Kills. Michelangelo did not sculpt the David in a padded cell. In fact, he had
to hang around with the rough stone quarriers in Carrara to learn what marble
was really like, from inside, so to speak, when men cut it out of the mountain.
Had he been told to wear a helmet all his life, he would never have gone to
Carrara in the first place.'
Reading this section of the book reminded me of an
article another uncle sent us a couple of years ago To All the Kids Who Survived the 1940's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!
Linking this to Wednesday with Words
2 comments:
Yes! I really do need to get this book, perhaps I will be able to add it to my list by Christmas. I just bought our ten year old son a fixed carving knife to learn the proper ways to whittle. And yes, he has given himself small cuts already, but I told him that's part of learning and to keep his knife sharp. Thanks for writing and giving us these examples from your own family. Excellent stuff.
Makes me want to reread the book. I am grieving more and more these days that our children can't avoid making big mistakes because we never let them make little ones.
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