7 Reasons Why That Might Surprise You
We
all have our reasons for restricting our children from the internet. We take
our responsibility seriously because we know or imagine the dangers. I learned
some new ones this week that I thought I should share.
Yesterday
my granddaughter (whom I once called Smarty Pants and she thought it was a
compliment) spent the day with me. I was in my office, checking Facebook
messages, when Smarty Pants stood behind me and started reading, too.
At
the most inappropriate time, there was a message from a friend with an attached
recipe for a "Fun
Project for Kids". Smarty Pants saw it:
Squirmy Jelly Worms
To
prevent a similar tragedy from happening to you, I share what I learned. (If you decide to try the project anyway, I have included my NOTES.)
7
New Reasons Children Should be Kept from Social Media:
#1-
There will immediately be money involved
Impulse
shopping is very effective on children. The time between suggestion and action
is zero. And because you already know
that, here’s what can make it shorter--grandparents. Within
minutes, Smarty Pants and I were at the grocery store with a cart full of
project supplies and more snacks than we could eat all summer.
(NOTE: Adult supervision WAS necessary for this Fun
Project. If you still want to continue, read my NOTES.)
(NOTE
TO ADULTS: You MUST read this recipe at least once before you begin. Regardless of how many capital letters I use, I am not overstating this. Having a second adult read the recipe was also helpful. Having a movie handy
was even more helpful. Waiting for water to boil and cool are things that evidently
take forever. You’ll not want the
drama of displeasing the child so early in the Fun Project.)
#2-
Once ingredients for a project are placed in view of a child, there is no time
to read the recipe
At
once Smarty Pants began mixing, pouring and touching everything she could find.
Then, she told me the outfit she was wearing was brand new. Simultaneously, I
remembered why it had been so long since I bought food coloring.
(NOTE:
You will want to wear gloves.)
#3-
Only items in your kitchen that are clean (or irreplaceable) will work for Fun
Projects
Seriously,
this is a beautiful picture. But that is not the reason we used this container.
The container is 80 years old. That is not the reason, either. After we dirtied
everything else in the kitchen, this was the container that perfectly held our
bubble tea-sized straws. (Any cocktail shaker or straw holder would probably
work.)
(NOTE: The secret to bigger and better worms is crowding the straws and making certain they fit flush against the bottom (and top) of your container. You want to minimize how much gelatin leaks outside of the straws.)
(NOTE: The secret to bigger and better worms is crowding the straws and making certain they fit flush against the bottom (and top) of your container. You want to minimize how much gelatin leaks outside of the straws.)
#4-
If a Rolling Pin is involved, an extra hour can be added to the length of the
project
The
Fun Project recipe shares multiple tips for removing the worms from the straws.
Though we did not use the rolling pin, it was Smarty Pants’ first time to see
one. I left the room and waited till she tired of it.
Reason
#5- In the end, the child will make their own rules for any Fun Project
This
is the method Smarty Pants favored. Worm size is relative to breath size.
(NOTE:
At this stage the recipe can be thrown away, unless you are collecting your own
set of NOTES.)
REASON
#6- By the time you realize you should be wearing gloves, it will be 3 weeks
too late
See
NOTES #s 1 and 2.
REASON
#7 – You get what you get
Regardless
of the outcome, there will be no regrets for the child. The project was so much
fun for Smarty Pants; she has already asked when we will do it again. And by “It”
I assume she means test my patience and destroy my kitchen.
(NOTE:
I told her next week. See Reason #1.)
If
you have any questions, let me know. (I'll still be in the kitchen cleaning.)