When it comes to Arts & Crafts, and all the DIY projects in that category, lets just say that, it’s not my strongest attribute.
Sure, I have a tub of crafty things, there are paints in the house and lots of good intentions, but when it’s all said & done, it just turns into a much more exhausting activity than it probably should be. Especially once kids are involved. So, with the expected outcome of it always going to shit, I often will just avoid the whole “crafty” thing all together.
I know, I know, it’s good for kids to do, it expands their minds, yada yada. But you know what doesn’t expand with it? My patience. My patience cannot stretch to what is needed when it comes to my kids crafting. What starts as a fun project of painting pieces of wood (not fancy nice & clean wood, but wood I just grabbed out of the growing pile of scrap pieces that our yard is accumulating) turns into a full on body painting fest, which ends in kicking & screaming because Miss 2 year old doesn’t want me to wash it off, so runs around the house smearing said paint all over the house….
So, when I do get up the muster to do something crafty or DIY like, it is often very basic & quite frankly very ghetto. Like last night, I made a crown for Miss 2, out of 1980’s printer paper & masking tape and she scribbled on it with partly dried out felt markers. It was by no means fancy, but it did the trick.
Even trying to do some DIY wall hangings is done in very funky ways, because often I don’t have the time or the materials to accomplish the super clean look, but inspiration hits me and so I go with the flow. Same goes for when something needs sewing, I either let the holes just be there, or I safety pin it. These things are just not in me to really give that much care towards.
Another great classic craft I’d spend some time on: stickers. When my son had to make a poster board for his preschool, it was all about the stickers. Peel & stick. Nice and simple. It’s enjoyable for all, and very little frustration comes with it, and close to no mess involved. I could sticker all day. I mean, you should see my sticker collection I have from when I was a girl 😉
Coloring, oh coloring is another good one, but lets be honest, I don’t want to do it with my kids. I’d like to just have an afternoon to myself to just color. Once the kids get involved, they don’t stick to their own book, they want to get there little fingers all over my beautiful coloring book and my pencil crayons. And I don’t want to share! But I’m their mom, and I’m supposed to teach them about sharing, so instead of letting them color in my book, I just avoid it all together. It’s all about the ease my friends. Finding the ways to keep us all happy and getting along. No need to be fighting over coloring books (myself included!)
So, instead of being that crafty momma who has the patience of a saint & the skills of Martha Stewart, I’ll just stick to the random living-room dance parties, the Disney & Musical sing-a-longs, the spelling out of the alphabet, the reading of book after book, the hugs & the kisses and the dress up parties & imaginary play. And that’s ok by me, and my kids don’t know any better to argue with that 😉
mettarose.com 