When I was on my Spring Break, I volunteered two mornings in both Vivian and William’s Grade 2 classroom. I had to do a craft. I happen to despise crafts. I can mess them up easily. Those two mornings in a primary classroom were the subject of my latest humor column in The Calgary Herald. […]
crafts
Kids Using Google: The Pros
Just over a week ago, while I was sleeping in, seven-year-old Vivian wrote and self-published a book. It was Sunday. My husband had left for work, William was watching cartoons, and Vivian was bored. Because I’m a good mother and had been out until 1 a.m., I told her to go play computer games. I […]
Another Craft Disaster with Kids
Last week I received a notification. I grieved, all stages. First I denied it. Then I bargained. Eventually I accepted it. There was no way out: I would have to do a fifteen minute craft with children ages three to six. At church. * I ponder. It’s Lent. Shouldn’t these kids be giving up fun […]
Kids and Scissors: Weapons of Mass Destruction
William, who seems to have inherited my lack of finger dexterity, has taken an interest in cutting. I’d be excited if he was cutting paper. But he’s not. He’s cutting clothes. Here’s the conversation we had a week ago. “What happened to your shirt?” I asked, holding up his favorite back-to-school top. “I cut it.” […]
Earth Day Tips for Lazy Parents
April 22 is Earth Day, which means kids will be coming home from school with great ideas. Most of these “great ideas” are things we parents wish we were doing already: growing our own vegetables, packing litter-less lunches, and singing Kumbayah. I admit defeat early in the three above-mentioned Save-the-Earth campaigns: I kill house plants, […]
5 Reasons I Hate Crafts
I hate crafts. This is a problem given that my daughter is her own craft production factory. Thanks to her, we are first rate recyclers: paper, toilet paper rolls, and cereal boxes rotate from the craft table to the recycling bin with amazing fluidity. It might be cute if you’re a scrapbook person; if you’re […]
Activities for Children of Lousy Parents
Let’s get things straight. I’m not a Martha Stewart mother, one of those women born to parent. I am neither willing nor able to build a replica of the Taj Mahal out of items from the recycling box. In recent weeks, I’ve felt compelled to do something slightly more interesting with my children on Sundays […]