Learning ways that wont work

Edison once said "I have not failed, I just found 10,000 ways that wont work".
Well my kids are very good at finding ways that wont work.

My son and husband just got back from Scout camp, they have a rule there about showers; kids and adults cannot shower together.   I haven't supervised my son's shower, in years, so this is simple rule set in place by BSA safety standards, is no big deal.

Unless you are the one waiting for your 9 and 10 year olds to get out of the after pool shower, hoping they remember everything.  On the last day of camp there was a LARGE collection of forgotten clothes.  My own son came out after 15 mins, with his swimsuit still on holding his underwear, apparently he dropped it on the floor, and you know how boys bathroom floors are, he refused to put it on.  (I don't blame him!)  Soap was spilled and wasted; Folk dropped towels in mud puddles. Everything annoying that could  happen did.

But for all that, it was well worth it.  If parents are always around to make sure clean clothes are kept off the floor and dirty ones make it out (the first trip) kids wont learn.

While he was at camp my son also shot a BB gun, with a score of zero..... During archery, he managed to shoot three other targets, but not his own.


But enough about his weekend, I have other kids...

My oldest daughter made play dough yesterday, I had to nurse my youngest so other than fetching the ingredients that were out of her reach, I let her do it all herself.  We talked about kneading it, but her end product was way to flaky.  This is not the first time we have made play dough, so I assure you she knows the steps and has done it properly.  Of course the doll and bowl she made from the dusty dough didn't survive.  But I hope she learned something.

These are just a few recent examples of my kids failing.  While I don't recommend always setting tasks too far out of a kids reach, I do feel that a healthy dose of failure is good for kids.  Neither kid had tantrums (even after being sent back to fetch the 5th item left in the shower.....)  Both were more than willing to attempt the tasks again.

I figure everyone has to fail sometime, I would prefer it happened while I am there to make sure the failure causes no lasting damage.

Elbert Hubbard said "The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one."  I hope by letting my kids make mistakes in a save environments they will learn to overcome them and try again when necessary.

BTW my son went back and managed a 34, and 44 at BBs the second day (after deciding to listen to the adults advice)  He still is lousy at Archery though.