Lesson #1: Say Yes.
I think as parents, one of the most difficult challenges is to be able to let our children go to be able to be free thinkers, lifelong learners, creative people. It’s so easy to want to stick to our own vision, the vision that means a clean house and kids who quietly play something, well…easy to clean up and non eventful so we can just make dinner in peace.
So when Little Man came to us desperate to do some sort of experiment with pipe cleaners and a bucket of bubbles, we both argued with him for ten minutes as to why he couldn’t: “too close to supper, how on earth will that work, too messy, I’m trying to cook, etc.” But’s he’s stubborn, and he was quite certain that this would be the best thing ever and we realized it was easier to just give him a little bucket of bubbles and let him go to it.
And you know what? He totally showed us because it DID work, it was lovely and he and Knittykid sat outside happy as can be for the next 15 minutes. Say Yes.
Lesson #2: It still will be messy
Of course, when they were done, no one sweetly carried the bucket up to us and asked us to pour the leftover bubbles back into the container. Nope, not at all. They poured it on their heads.
I wish I had gotten to the camera in time to get a picture of the bubbles before they went on their heads. You can see Little Man’s pipe cleaner creation. He dipped it in the bucket, held it up into the wind, and they got huge, gorgeous bubbles that set Knittykid into a fit of delight.
Messy? Yup?
Was dinner late? Yup.
Totally worth it anyway? Yup. And we didn’t even have to do shampoos that night.
Thanks Little Man!
Knittymama 
What fun!
That’s a lesson my first-born taught me as well. Sometimes I say No reflexively. I don’t even think about it. I just say no because someone said no to me when I was small. My oldest taught me to take a minute to consider, and try saying yes.
My sister-in-law is a teacher and her motto is: “Learning is messy!” When all the cousins are in town they LOVE going to Aunt Kris’ house for craft day (even the 10-12 year olds) because it’s stuff we always say NO to!! Thank goodness for the ones like Little Man who live to teach us all the really good lessons!
Awww. How cute! And a good thing to remember about kids and creativity and exploring.
I read somewhere when my boys were tiny, “Even Moses had only ten commandments” about too many rules.
Kids are so fun! Life is so fun! Now, back to dinner…
Looks like fun- the kind of fun that most mommies miss (myself included, far too often…) Yay for fun with kiddos, despite some mess!
Happy knitting-
ali
what a great reminder to say Yes! thanks for sharing the sweet photos.
Kids don’t need a schedule to tell them when it is time to create. They just know. And I’ve never once seen a child suffer from a late dinner. Good call, Little Man! That sounds like a blast!!
It also goes to prove kids don’t need a ton of really cool, really expensive toys. Soap bubbles and pipe cleaners! Best toy ever.
Love those pictures – what sweeties! And those are lessons that I always try to remember, too. Life is much more fun when you say YES!
Two lessons, I have to remind myself all the time. Yay for Little Man!
I agree with everybody else: awesome story.! Much food for thought… It really made my day. Thank you.
LOL, as soon as I saw “bucket of bubbles” I knew what was going to happen to it. They can’t resist. Love the pics.
I love how knittykid has the apron on! Such wishful thinking! – oh, he might get just a little bit wet… Very cute.
Oh what fun! I love how creative and free your kids are – neither of mine would do something like this.
What a lovely, happy scene 🙂
That’s an awesome lesson. Sometimes we just say No automatically.
I try to remind myself to say yes more often at work.
Love those pictures you snapped!