Leaving for the weekend.
Jett is 8.
He's old enough to read.
I am a mother who fosters independance in my child. The benefits are for his self esteem, and for my ease of mind (I know he can take care of himself).
I wrote up a list (with his help), for stuff he was going to need for his weekend trip to his Aunty Linda.
This is the list -
Jett’s Packing List for Linda (8th February 2008)
· Toothpaste and tooth brush
· Two pairs of underwear
· Two pairs of shorts/pants
· Two T-shirts
· One jumper
· Crocs
· Glasses
· Hat
· Watch
· Give Aunty Linda a drawing
· uno
I printed out the list. Then Jett found all of the things on his list and layed them out on his bed.
I ckecked off the list and he packed his bag and had it ready at the door for when Aunty Linda came by to pick him up.
He took the list with him, and ckecked it off when he came home.
why?
If you're a mother, you already know why this is a good idea. If you are not, then the benefits are numerous.
The child learns independance. He feels capable and in charge of his life. He feels more secure in his relationship to life.
After a few trials, Jett will be able to modify the list.
He'll be able to print out his own list and pack his own bag and be responsible for his own things.
He's on the way to becoming a responsible adult.
(Every time I create new ideas for Jett, I think about if its going to create a person (particularly a male) I'd like to meet in the future. And if the answer is yes, I put the idea into practice.)
What kind of adult do you want your child to be?
post script -
Today (Friday, 22nd Feb) we went for day trip to a national park.
We didn't have enough water. We forgot a rubbish bag for the picnic and our binoculars.
The next list I'll be making is a 'day trip list'. But that is for another post.
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