I encourage parents that I meet to do something like what the author of this post has done. These days, photos are ubiquitous. Curated memories in your voice are a rarified treasure.
My father encouraged me to journal, but I only really started when my kids were born. For many years now I have kept a private blog that tells the stories of their childhood. They're still young but have already read through it many times. Now, when we are on an adventure, they often remind me to jot something down in my notes to be added to the next entry.
Such a cute story. When I give my boy these moments of no-judgement free reign, he can surprise with such elaborate ideas and plans. It really gives me these moments of complete amazement of the human brain capabilities. I think that good parenting is mostly this struggle of keeping consistent boundries while holding on to the idea that they learn most when they try themself.
This is such a good story. I remember reading it when my son was a toddler. It was one of the first times I started to internalize one of the most important parenting lessons I've learned being a Dad:
Never say 'no' to something unless there's an obvious safety issue.
Especially don't say 'no' just because you don't understand the request: that's the time to show them that you're curious about what they're thinking and give them practice explaining their reasoning in a safe and comfortable situation. Kids need freedom to explore their world.
The kid had a plan all along. His dad just took a while to catch on. Glad he rolled with it. Could've easilly ended with buiyng some tape and heading home.
At the beginning of the article, Guy says "And this is a table I want you to make by cutting up the board with the saw. I'm going to paint squares on it."
My father encouraged me to journal, but I only really started when my kids were born. For many years now I have kept a private blog that tells the stories of their childhood. They're still young but have already read through it many times. Now, when we are on an adventure, they often remind me to jot something down in my notes to be added to the next entry.
Never say 'no' to something unless there's an obvious safety issue.
Especially don't say 'no' just because you don't understand the request: that's the time to show them that you're curious about what they're thinking and give them practice explaining their reasoning in a safe and comfortable situation. Kids need freedom to explore their world.
A lesson on the importance of encouraging your children with their projects - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2757980 - July 2011 (103 comments)