Thursday Addie and I had this conversation:
Addie: Granny, would you make a frog hat for my friend and one for me too?
Me: No. You’re 10 years old. You can learn to crochet and make your own frog hat.
Addie: What if I clean your sewing room and you can pay me AND make me a frog hat?
Me: No! Something doesn’t seem quite right with that offer, plus – my sewing room doesn’t bother me at all and if you want frog hats, you make them.
I think one of the biggest incentives for learning to do most anything is having a want, need or desire that isn’t going to get filled unless you take the bull by the horns. A lot of people could learn that lesson!
It seems that when Addie says she can’t do something or doesn’t understand, most people in her life do it for her. I would love for her to learn to crochet, knit, cross stitch but she has to be willing to put forth the effort.
We started out with the slip knot. I showed her how I make mine and told her to find some youtube videos and watch them. She did watch a lot of videos but, like when learning anything new, it seems so much harder than it really is. She was determined that everyone else in the world could make a slip knot but she could not. She wanted me to say “I’ll do it for you!” I told her . . we all grow and mature at different stages/ages. Maybe you just aren’t ready to do it yet. Put it away and maybe next month or next summer, you can try it again. Not what she wanted to hear. She watched more videos and came bounding into the living room announcing that she could make a perfect slip knit!
Then . . same thing with holding the yarn and keeping tension on it. She got that down and now, instead of having to watch the yarn and wrangle it out of the wrong fingers and get it right, the yarn seems to know exactly where to go between her fingers.
This afternoon, we were working on a chain stitch. She said “I can’t do it!”. I reminded her that children much younger than she is can do it but, if she can’t do it . . she can put it away til later. She REALLY wants to make a frog hat!
She’s practicing the chain stitch . . and with a smile on her face! 🙂
I hope she sticks with it at least long enough to know if it’s something she is going to enjoy or not.
Beryl says
What is a frog hat? Something for Halloween? That cute face!
judy.blog@gmail.com says
No. Just a green hat that looks like a frog – had big, bulging eyes, a tongue or maybe just a mouth probably embroidered on. She’s 10. Don’t ask why? 🙂
Dottie says
I bet it won’t be long before she “gets it”. I tried to learn to crochet in my early 20’s and I could chain, but, that’s it. Everyone kept saying if you can chain, you’ve got it made, LOL. In my 60’s I took lessons and “sort of” got it but it seems a lot more difficult (to me) than knitting.
Susan says
What a great approach! You’re right, there are many things she won’t learn to do if people will do them for her … and most things are harder as you get older, too. Stick to your guns, Granny. =)
judy.blog@gmail.com says
Yes! I’d take 10 year old responsibility and tasks over most adult responsibilities and tasks! 🙂
Cindy F says
I love this life lesson you are teaching her! You are so right in saying that you will learn something if you want it enough. This is something I have to remind myself! lol It’s so much easier to learn watching videos on the internet than reading books so at least that part is easier!
Dott says
I remember your saying once, “If somebody else can do it, and I want to do it, I can do it.” I use that to push myself to try things!
judy.blog@gmail.com says
Yes, that’s one of the sayings I live by! At least for me, since I’ve gotten older, it’s easy to talk myself out of trying new things, and I think it’s mostly because I fear failing but if we never try new things, we never learn new things.