DIY

Just looking at those letters DIY....begins the images whirling in my head of all the ideas I have pinned to my ever expanding Pinterest boards of things I one-day hope to create..in all of my spare time, of course!  But DIY is really the underlying theme to our success in this self-led learning world that we are creating each day. Prepare yourself for what you are about to read. Are you ready? Are you sitting down? Are you prepared to change your life with four little words? Ok...here we go...MOM CAN'T DO EVERYTHING!  And, if you do everything for them, you're cheating your children out of a sense of real accomplishment that will set the course for how they view learning for years to come.  I deeply understand that sometimes it's easier to just do it your self, but investing the time to teach them to DIY will free you and ignite fires in your child's learning that will never burn out.

Mama Sanity Tip: They may not do it exactly like you would, but if it gets done, learn to be ok with it.

I'm going to start with food as an example, because somehow the theme keeps recurring around here several times a day.  Here are some of my best ideas for DIY food for all ages.

1. Many four year old's will be able to help themselves to a drink. Prepare a small glass pitcher of water (or whatever your children drink) and place it in an area where they can reach it, with a glass and a stack of towels to clean up spills.





2. Our family prepares many of our meals together. We begin teaching our children to use the stove around age 8.  Most children are tall enough to safely reach and use the stove by this age.  With minimal culinary skills, a child can fry an egg. Busy times often call for egg sandwiches! Even a toddler can help out in the kitchen with a wavy knife. A pile of carrots and one of these cool tools empowers a toddler in the kitchen. You may also discover that your child is much more willing to try new foods that he or she helped to create.



3. Pinning!! Get your visual learner interested in pinning recipes and a meal planner will emerge! Set some guidelines that reflect your family's food choices and let them plan meals for the week, or for the month!



“The worst thing you can do for anyone you care about is anything that they can do on their own.” 
― Abraham Lincoln