One EASY way to get your kid to butter her own toast!
Yesterday morning I had a accidental revelation with my dexterous 7-year old daughter. Short on time, she decided to have a piece of toast for breakfast. Knowing I’m the best toast-butterer in the world, Sonja said, “Mom I need butter on my toast – please butter it for me.” I looked down at my hands immersed in sudsy, warm dishwater. The wheels in my mind slowed as I sensed the opportunity at hand,
“Oh honey, my hands are all soapy, I don’t want to ruin your toast.”
Not one to give up, she tried again… “But mom… I’m not good at buttering toast and you’re really good at it!”
“Darn... sorry about that Sweetie. Just look at these sudsy Paws!” I lifted my hands to show the unappetizing soapy mess.
Suddenly resolute, Sonja asked, “Okay Mom, where’s the butter?”
A minute later, with quiet pride she said, “Look Mom, I did it all by myself!”
Sometimes I have to be creative, play a bit silly, incompetent or just plain unavailable, to get my kids to step up and take the initiative on a task well within their grasp or even one that seems a bit out of reach.
CONSIDER⇔SHARE⇔ACT Have you had a similar experience? Share it or plan your "incompetence" ahead of time and let us know how you imagine it could encourage your child.Your comments inform and empower other parents! Examples with kids of all ages encouraged!