Making models with the master of mayhem
A busy weekend, but a good one.
In an attempt to lure The Boy away from the path of destruction, I took him out on Friday afternoon to buy some baking supplies and a couple of model kits.
Friday evening was spent cleaning up after the eight-year-old master of mayhem while he created a chocolate cake, while Saturday, after a trip to the library and a market outing, was focused on teaching him the quiet art of model-making.
After a great deal of explanation ('it's about patience, and taking your time, and doing things right, and following the instructions') he did very well, with only a few attempts to skip the instructions and do it his own way (which usually involves losing interest, slapping things together as quickly as possible and then wandering off to turn his bedroom into an exact replica of the Somme, complete with rats and real mud).
In the end he put together a Ford Focus rally car, mostly on his own, and then painted and stickered it to his own specifications. He seems to have enjoyed the process, and has a cool object to show for his labours.
I figured that, after his impromptu plumbing exploits in the garden early in the summer (open drain + pile of rocks = human waste all over the garden) ended up costing us close to £600, helping to fund a hobby which might teach him patience and focus might be pretty cost effective in the long run.
Fingers crossed.
In an attempt to lure The Boy away from the path of destruction, I took him out on Friday afternoon to buy some baking supplies and a couple of model kits.
Friday evening was spent cleaning up after the eight-year-old master of mayhem while he created a chocolate cake, while Saturday, after a trip to the library and a market outing, was focused on teaching him the quiet art of model-making.
After a great deal of explanation ('it's about patience, and taking your time, and doing things right, and following the instructions') he did very well, with only a few attempts to skip the instructions and do it his own way (which usually involves losing interest, slapping things together as quickly as possible and then wandering off to turn his bedroom into an exact replica of the Somme, complete with rats and real mud).
In the end he put together a Ford Focus rally car, mostly on his own, and then painted and stickered it to his own specifications. He seems to have enjoyed the process, and has a cool object to show for his labours.
I figured that, after his impromptu plumbing exploits in the garden early in the summer (open drain + pile of rocks = human waste all over the garden) ended up costing us close to £600, helping to fund a hobby which might teach him patience and focus might be pretty cost effective in the long run.
Fingers crossed.