Standing nearby... trying not to worry or wince as those little fingers hold the knife and slip over the fruit. Trying to let go of the fact that half the fruit is not making it to the plate... Its the process that matters. She cuts the fruit just the same way she has seen me do almost every day for her... And it tastes so good because she did it herself. Well the first two pieces do anyway. The rest go straight into the chook bucket.
Its so hard to let go and watch them follow that process sometimes, when all we want to do is jump in and help them. Show them how to do it properly. It doesn't matter though. Its their journey and they will get there so much faster and with joy if we just step back and watch them do it for themselves.
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"Every time you teach a child something, you keep him from inventing it himself. On the other hand, that which he discovers for himself will remain with him, visible, for the rest of his life." - Jean Piaget
Nodding along to it all!
ReplyDeleteI still find it hard to watch and not jump in when the kids are learning things for themselves.
Patience is taught well to us parents, when watching our little ones learn.
My son has just started doing this too. It's beautiful to watch. He is so proud of himself. But yes, hard to do, he is my first child and I often don't realise what he is capable of.
ReplyDeleteSo true!
ReplyDelete(And you're doing well. I still struggle with letting the kids help themselves to anything, and I surreptitiously pull faces when I see what G has done to the erstwhile pristine surface of the Vegemite.)
Oh I know what you mean, I felt nervous just looking at the photo :-o
ReplyDeleteI guess the whole process is a long slow letting go, metaphorical and physical, from birth onwards.
I am passing the Stylish Blogger Award on to you. If you would like to accept, you can find details at my blog, snowflakesinthevalley.blogspot.com
ReplyDelete