Teaching skills to children.

[AmyDave]

One thing I didn't really have was anyone handing down any valuable skills.
My mum is a fantastic cook and seamstress and so is my nan but nobody bothered to show me.
My other nan did try to show me how to knit but I couldn't gte my head round it (once finished crocheting another blanket I am going tog ive it a go)

But my point is I have 3 children aged 6, 3 and 2. The 6 yr old just isn't interested unless it's cooking but the 3 and 2yr old are.

I have given them some large aida, wool and plastic needles and have tried to show thema nd then left them to just play with it.
I am going to buy myself a loom soon and have thought about buying a childs loom for my daughters but was thinking maybe I am trying to 'force' to much on them- or should I keep trying to instill these 'old' and 'traditional' skills and hand down my knowledge like it used to be done?

I don't want to be a 'pushy' parent I guess!

[Caroleecrafts]

I think there are so many distractions now that it makes it harder to get children interested. I am considerably older than you but my Mother and grand mother taught me everything about cooking, sewing, knitting etc as did their respective Mums and Grans before them, Sorry your Mum never passed this onto you without these skills being taught they will die out and you never know when they may be needed, so persevere, perhaps the 6 year old needs to find his/her own niche but cooking is good, we all need to eat.

[AnnieAnna]

No. Keep at it. They'll love you later. And you'll love them ;)
This summer my sons have sewed me a tent, cooked me (loads of lovely) meals and all 3 of them were here a week ago holding up the ceiling while my husband screwed it in place.

[vicky1975]

I say definately keep it!!

My business is purely successful because I am encouraging children to be creative, by recycling and having fun at the same time. My mum was very creative and I too have always been creative, but I see so many children who even at 5 years old cannot use their imaganiation and use bits of wool or an empty box to make something new and exciting.

Recycled crafts is very educational for children and parents and if you have space, I would always keep lots of odds and ends. Computers have unleashed both good and bad points in a childs learning. I am a great beleiver, that you dont need to be a pushy parent, just allow children to explore textures and materials.

I hope this helps

Vicky x

[jaydee67]

I agree - not every child will want to craft but all of them will find enjoyment in some kind of creative thing. If it's cooking - great! My 3 can all cook and have done since they were wee. My oldest's (23) party trick is to disappear into the kitchen and make profiteroles! He was a dab hand at cross stitch when younger and has progressed to LARP activities since going to uni and makes costume and prop pieces. My daughter (21) has found a rekindled interest in crochet and makes iris folded cards. My youngest (16) loves wood and metalwork - at school - and is currently making me a poker. All three went through junk models, finger paints, lego, painting, knitting, papier mache, anything that made a mess! I am always trying new things and involved them if they were interested. Favourite projects, for my oldest I helped him make Tracy Island from Blue Peter instructions - lots of junk, I then had to help make a playground from more junk on an thick card base for my daughter's playmobil people. I've shown kids at school how to iris fold, make newspaper baskets, friendship bracelets, taught my niece to crochet .... I love to give kids craft kits as gifts. Can you tell I'm a bit enthusiastic? Good Luck!

[Little_hands]

Hiya
I have 3 girls -3 year (almost 4) twins and an elder daughter who turned 5 a few days ago. they all love making things and are incredibly lucky as they have a huge amount of imput from me but, (and this is an important but) at this age they have a short attention span and need to see results quickly. Their fine motor skills are still developing and a lot of the connections in the brain haven't been made. Just letting them explore and play with materials at this age is great along with showing them what you make will be loads of stimulation. You can make a weaving box from a shoe box and bits of string. Then get them to weave strips of paper through it. The results are quick and very visual.
As others have said don't give up ... these so called traditional skills are still very vauable and the basics of design are still used even with modern day technology. Paper plates are fantastic for glueing, sticking, folding, painting etc. I would hold of with the knitting needles for a bit but get them playing with the wool in collages. .
hth
xxx

[Critchley]

Sometimes you don't have to show or teach a child, they just absorb this kind of thing from a parent who crafts until, in the end, they either ask or just pick it up themselves.

[AmyDave]

Thanks all, I shall keep at it then, might do some painting today with them anyways!

[homemade hannah]

My mum is a great cook but never showed me how to make anything. Added to that I was never expected to tidy up after myself, use a washing machine/hoover, etc. When at 28-30 I found myself with a husband and 2 kids I realised that I lacked all the necessary skills to 'keep a home'. I had to learn quickly if my family were going to have clean clothes and not starve. As a result of this I have been really mindful of allowing my kids to watch me do things and help me. In terms of creativity I have always done arts and crafts activities with my 2 year old. Often I'll just give her an ink pad and some stamps, card, ribbon, glitter, etc and get her to 'do some making' as she calls it. I sit and do my stuff, she watches and then does her own interpretation. When I am starting a new mixed media canvas my daughter stands beside me with her mini canvas and tries to copy me. It is hilarious and also worrying that sometimes she is more inspired and creative than me!

[indri]

Maybe your 6 year old will want to join in when your younger 2 are playing with wool. You never know. I have no idea how to knit partly because my mum wasn't very good at it either and I didn't have grandparents to learn from. I haven't yet done my quilling near my daughter who isn't yet 18months as I know she isn't up to doing it at all, but she absolutely loves scribbling, so I'm starting small at the moment. This time next year I think I might be looking at more different sorts of crafting. It's great the 6 year old is interested in cooking. Don't worry too much about what they do. They will all get their own creativity eventually. For my brother it was always building with lego and playing with electronics. He now rebuilds computers and programmes them for a living.

[Virginia Quilter]

What I love about sewing/crafting with children is that they are not afraid! They have no preset notion that they can't do a technique. They give it a go and don't get put off by mistakes, they just keep trying and sometimes the item ends up even more unique and creative than the original pattern. That's why I find making crafts with kids so inspiring. Good luck with your loom, that sounds very fun for your whole family!

[greannancrafts]

My Mother and both grandmothers were fantastic cooks, they were all very good at sewing and knitting and always had something on the go.

From an early age I was interested in cooking and remember standing on a chair at the side of Mother?Grandmothers making pastry and cakes, following what she did and being encouraged.

I also remember rushing to greet my Father with a pastry tart or fairy cake and standing over him whilst he ate it. (poor man)

I never showed any interest in sewing or knitting and have never really done any - for me it is probably because it takes too long?

By the time I was 9, I was cooking many family meals and baked often.

When my Father went to India, I sent him with a list of spices I wanted - in those days it was impossible to get anything more exotic than a radish in the shops.

They will let you know what their interests are, build and encourage on that

Jane

[knittingnana]

I do feel for you. I was taught to knit by my Mum and her Mum, I love it but my daughter has never shown an interest in knitting. I did successfully teach my son though, he did a school project where he knitted two items - a pillow and a teddy bear. They were both rather good.

My daughter eventually learnt to sew when sew was 18, she and I are great sewers together now, but it did take some time.

Regardless of whether they take it up a a hobby or just do it that one time, they will then appreciate your skills and have a greater understanding of how things are made.

My point is keep up the encouragement, you never know when or if the interest will hit, but these skills are too precious to let slip away with out a fight.

[aisles]

If you are crafting away and you are showing what you are making, asking what they think about what you've made, do you like this, what colour shall I use etc etc The more engaging you are the more a child will be interested.

Talking/commuicating what you are doing is the key asking if they'd like to help you even if it's just to hold something it all helps.

My mother taught me to knit but the interest came because my mother talked about what she was doing and let me choose colours of yarn and showed me what she was knitting.

Making things with wood came from watching my father make our first rabbit hutch at age 7 years and feeling very proud that he said I could help. Okay I only passed the tools, held things and he showed me how to measure a piece of wood and mark it with a pencil so he could cut it with a saw. He explained how to hammer in a nail without hiting your own fingers and thumbs and let me have a go. So when we made the rabbit run I was able to explain what we were doing to my younger brother.

It's all about commuication and having the opportunity to try things out to explore and not be told you have to do it. It has to be fun.

[JABBY]

For us, we found the method that worked best, for all ages, was whenever they showed an interest in anything, show them how to do it properly, and let them have a go.
Even simple things, like when they first showed an interest in the hi fi system, or the dvd player we taught them how to use it to play the radio, a cd, or a record. OK so they were hamfisted at first, but they soon got the hang of it, and then became better than us at it.

Both myself and my better half do, and have done between us, a lot of different crafty things over the years. The kids obviously see this and very often take an interest.
They now have a store of information and skills ready to use whenever they feel like having a go for themselves.

cheers
John
www.jbwoodcraft.co.uk