Scott and I finally had recovered enough from being sick and/or caring for sick kids. Our energy returned, we announced to the kids that we were making candy that morning.
As bags of melted chocolate emerged from the microwave, I struggled to overcome my real dislike of messy food projects. Gradually, my hands backed away from controlling the bags (while trying to give the kids the illusion that they were really doing it). I learned how to just hold the floppy bags and allow the kids to direct the melted chocolate into the molds their way. They took great delight in creating pumpkins, cats, bats, “spooks,” and mummies, and in spreading chocolate around with Popsicle sticks.
Little Girl and her dad took leftover chocolate and created free-hand fall leaves and three-dimenional pumpkins on plastic wrap.
Little Boy delighted in scooping melted chocolate directly from molds to mouth and smashing those three dimensional pumpkins.
And I learned that messy food projects aren’t any more difficult to clean up than any other messy project. That effort was well worth the joy all three kids took from the activity. So I’m now looking for some good Thanksgiving and Christmas projects to do together. I need more practice letting messes happen.
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You and me both! I cringe at the paper towel commercials when the kid makes a ginormous mess and the mom just grabs a paper towel! I so need to learn that it is okay to be "messy" in my life…
God can clean up even the biggest messes, cant He!
The messier they are, the more fun the kids have
What a wonderful tradition to start!
You are such a good mom, for working through some of your own stuff so they could have experiences and memories.
I don't mind craft or cooking messes, but taking them shopping – does me in.
"Not trusting someone is another way I try to punish them for what they've done to me."
Saw your comment on (In)Courage this morning. It rang so true with me. Conviction is good and "getting it" is even better. Thank you!
deb