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The Creative Mom’s Craft Time
This week, my 5-year-old son, Max, and I decided to dive into some arts and crafts. He insists on calling it “arts and craps,” and honestly, I’m not correcting him because it perfectly captures my feelings about these activities. Max wanted to create a snowman, but after countless snowmen this winter, I suggested we make something for Valentine’s Day instead.
“How about we draw and cut out a big heart?” I proposed. “Then we can decorate it.” It might not have screamed “Martha Stewart,” but hey, he’s only 5!
“Okay,” he replied, picking up the marker with a hint of uncertainty.
“Just try to make it big enough for decorating,” I encouraged him.
What he managed to create on that construction paper looked more like a deflated balloon than a heart.
“Oh sweetheart, do you need a little help? Let me show you how to draw a heart,” I said, a classic rookie mistake. I started drawing dashed lines for him to connect, guided his hand, and even drew a heart for him to trace. After what felt like an eternity of 30 failed attempts and 10 wasted sheets of paper, my inner voices began to chime in—you know the ones!
There was the Frustrated Mom voice: “Seriously? Why can’t he get this? He’s failing at arts and craps!”
Then the Guilty Mom chimed in: “This is my fault. I should be more involved. I’m not doing enough.”
The Exhausted Mom sighed, wishing she could just call it a day and binge-watch her favorite show instead.
The Cheerleader Mom was doing cartwheels, declaring, “If he can’t do it, no one can!”
The Wine-Clock Mom, also known as Rosé-nay, glanced at the clock, asking, “Is it too early for a glass of wine?”
The Melodramatic Mom was having a moment, lamenting, “I can’t even teach him to draw a heart! What is wrong with me?”
Finally, the Creative Mom piped up, “Why don’t you try drawing a big uppercase ‘V’? Now, let’s add two peaks on top of that ‘V.’ Yes! You did it, Max! You made a heart!”
And he did! He was so worn out from the effort that he didn’t have the energy to finish the craft. I, on the other hand, was secretly relieved—I was running late for my date with Rosé-nay!
If you’re looking for more parenting tips, check out our other blog posts here. And for those interested in home insemination, you can find helpful resources at Make A Mom.
In summary, even the simplest crafts can turn into epic adventures filled with emotions and revelations about parenting. Embracing creativity can lead to unexpected solutions, and sometimes, all it takes is a little encouragement to draw out the best in our kids.