Author Archive
What Kids Need To Know
Posted by: | CommentsNot so very long ago kids learned how to take care of themselves and others at a realitively young age. It was expected and necessary as there was always the need for an extra pair of hands around the house. Children helped take care of younger brothers and sisters by age 4 or 5, made their own bed, put away some or most of their clothes, picked up after themselves, and generally made a visible contribution to the family. In rural cultures the chores kids did were much more than this and in most of the rest of the world children are depended on to be competent in certain age appropriate ways.
Now this might sound like I am advocating some form of child labor. Not so. What concerns me about many (most) urban American children is the lack of common ordinary skills, not being able to take care of themselves and others younger then themselves to a moderate degree, and not being comfortable with age appropriate responsibility. The more you know, the more confident you are. “I can do that!” is a wonderful thing to be able to say to yourself!
So what skills are important for children? Which skills will increase confidence in themselves? How do we give them a ‘leg-up’ so that each one feels able to handle sudden unexpected events with confidence instead of fear and panic? I guess each one of us has to define this for their family, however the end goal is the same: have all kids feel good about being able to cope with life.
What can kids do at what age? Much, much more than you think! At age 5 my oldest son was changing diapers and feeding his younger sister and brother breakfast every morning. I didn’t ask him, he just did it. At this age getting cereal and milk, making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, making your bed, putting away clothes, folding clothes, and dressing yourself are all well within the abilities of a 5 year old. I also know at other times-gone-by children at this age fed the smaller animals, hung out clothes on the line, weeded the garden, took care of the chickens, did simple mending and sewed doll clothes, and walked to school – even if it was a mile or two away.
Within the next year or so most of us, when I was growing up, could use a small pocket knife, tie knots, whistle, cook simple meals, take care of the baby for a short time, vacuum, wash dishes, and even iron. Again, I am not suggesting that all kids do all these things, I AM suggesting that the sooner each child can do the simple things of everyday life, the safer and more competent each one is.
We were big hikers in our family and loved to walk in the mountains or on a deserted country road for the day. It was important for the kids to be able to walk comfortably for long periods of time so we weren’t always carrying them. Our goal was to have each one walk two miles by age two without being picked up. It took a long time to walk that far for sure, and everyone of the five was able to do this by age two! Here in Colorado kids are on skis by the time they are two, in California they swim well by then, so why not do other things as well?
The object is to give our children and grandchildren as much education about life as possible so that when something unexpected comes up each one knows what to do without panic. I want kids to be able to feed themselves, go to the neighbors, dial 911, know what to do about a fire, be able to leave the house by several different methods, and hide if necessary. I want them to know how to use scizzors, duct tape, rope, string, and their brain. We need to make sure our kids can think outside the box, be creative and original, and use deductive reasoning since it seems we are coming into a very changable and unknown future. Let’s give the kids the gift of being home smart, life smart, and street smart!
The Life of a Garment
Posted by: | CommentsAs I was pulling up my underwear yesterday my hand went through it as the elastic pulled away from the fabric with a soft ripping sound. As I looked at the damage in the mirror, my first thought was on what they would become next. Another part of me simply said “Throw them out!” Here is a perfect example of what used to be and what is now.
Long ago and far away, when I was small, worn garments were sorted by fabric and type. They were all useful still, just in another form. Would the collars and cuffs get turned on a dress shirt? Would the soft cotton knits become polishing cloths and dust rags? Would the old clothes be washed and folded neatly to be ready for the rag man? Could this dress be made smaller for a younger sister or turned into doll clothes? This may sound very frugal and time consuming to us now; and yet I wonder if there are not some good ideas for these strange times as well. Let me just touch on some ways Grandmother reused a garment.
We got chicken feed in calico cloth bags during and, for a time, after the War. When the feedbag was empty the seams were carefully ripped out and these one yard lengths of cloth became curtains, aprons, napkins or a child’s dress. Fancy church and party dresses became pieces for a special quilt. Linen was eventually turned into fine quality writing paper, and everyday clothing became rag rugs. We always had a rag bag to grab out of for wiping up spills, washing the car, and polishing our shoes.
The best pot holders ever were made from the cut-off legs of jeans, filled with a thick square of old cotton mattress pad and decorated with apples and pears cut-out of bright colored napkins. You never got burned through these no matter how hot the pot or the oven. Sweaters and flannel shirts with stains, or holes in the elbows, became mittens or glove liners. Big sheets became small sheets and table cloths became placemats or napkins.
Now that I am again thinking about what I buy and whether I need it, my rag bag has taken on new life – no more paper towels! Cloth napkins are more common again – no need for paper napkins. In the garden the tender plants prefer to be tied up with strips of cloth ripped off an old cotton t-shirt rather than a plastic and metal twist tie. All natural fiber cloths can also be composted.
So the life of a garment starts out decorating our body, becomes a different piece of clothing or a useful household item, then a rag or a garden tie and finally returns to the soil as compost. It could also become paper, filler for quilts, or a rug. So when you buy clothes, realize you are also buying something for the future, something that can be so much more than just a pair of pants!
A Laundry P.S.
Posted by: | CommentsI learned as a young girl that when I hung the clothes on the line, everyone left me alone! I loved the time to myself with the bird songs, the breezes, the lovely clean smell of the clothes and how it looked when I was done. The order of well hung clothes blowing on the line gave me a feeling of pride in my work.
Some of my family always thought I was far too concerned with the way they were hung, and the order I put them in. I did have all the towels together, all the t-shirts, all the socks, etc. In the small picture this seems obssesive. What only becomes apparent when you follow the whole process is that as I took the clothes down and folded them, everything was already sorted, the socks could be balled and so they were ready to go in the drawer.
I kept this practice up as a Mother since it gave me a time outside alone, which I treasured above all else with five children at home. It also gave me a sense of order and beauty none of them would mess up. Looking at the neat rows of clothes drying on the line and smelling so good is a satisfaction I still smile over and remember all the way back to the time I was barely tall enough to reach the line, so I used a stool. Sweet memories indeed!
