This is one of the busier weeks in our year as we all help to prepare for my table at the Winnipeg Centre Vineyard Craft Sale, where I sell Tiny Peasant kits for kids, cards, and Urban Peasant neckwear. The kids know that during Craft Sale Week, they get to be my elves, and after the sale, I am their elf to help with all of their Christmas crafting.
Our homeschooling looks somewhat different during this week, with a lot less structure offered by me. I sort of panicked, thinking that I was abandoning ship and the kids would sink. Well, they are not only surviving but thriving. They have their own craft stations set up, making pony bead creations, finger knitting, crocheting, with breaks to build elaborate block towns, catch up with their lego characters, play house, draw, read a book, work on a project, play a game or head outside to play in the snow.
I’ve had offers from little ones who would like to man the yarn swift, and they all helped to sort out wool for the Tiny Weaver kits, and weigh roving for the Tiny Felter kits. So much elving going on around these parts and it is truly fun to do alongside the kids.
The way they have embraced this independence is amazing – there are no complaints of boredom, to be sure. Today one of them said to me, “The thing I love most about my life is that I can draw whenever I want!” All of this is a great reminder to me that I don’t have to have every moment planned. That they need me to hold space for them to direct their own learning, to fulfill their own needs for creativity, role playing, and decision making. And I can hang out in the wings (busily crafting) and be ready with snacks, with hot cocoa when they come in from play, to support conflict resolution when needed, and reach their halloween candy down from on top of the fridge. Ahem. The candy fairy doesn’t take all of that candy, you know!
