A regrettable decision.
|11.Nov.2008So, I’m always exploring new ways for Kenny to spell out his words. He’s an excellent student. He loves to read, BUT he gets tired of spelling out words the same way day after day, and so…today I got a bright idea while fumbling about in the pantry.
FLOUR!
We can use flour.
We’ve used sugar, salt, rice, paint, chalk, tiles, and umpteen number of other things…why not flour?
I needed someone to shake me at that moment and say something like, “Are you stupid? Or just STUPID?!”
When I walked away things were going well. Meredith decided she’d watch and make sure Kenny spelled each word correctly and Kenny was gung-ho about momma’s new idea.
I came back into the kitchen, after starting a load of clothes, pulling up my bed, and picking up a bit and there was giggling. LOTS of giggling. LOUD giggling.
Not to mention this cloudy haze floating out from the kitchen area.
When I turned the corner, I realized that I had single-handedly discovered one of the worst ideas EVER for fingering out one’s spelling words.
Though I will admit it could have been much worse, it was almost as though they forgot their hands were dirty with flour and wiped their shirts, pants, the chair, and the floor(?).
They had flour up to their elbows – THEIR ELBOWS.
“What in the stinkin’ heck are y’all doing?” I asked?
Both sets of blue eyes looked up at me, slightly exasperated by my apparent inability to recognize the obvious.
“We’re building a dam!”
Oh.
But of course.
You have got to be kidding me.
For the record, flour? NOT a choice tool for spelling.
In case you haven’t gathered that already.
*aaa-choo*
26 Comments
Mim
When I taught first grade we used shaving cream or powdered jello. Shaving cream right on top of a desk makes the desk clean ;) Powdered jello is heaver and therefore doesn’t get all over.
Kim R.
Hmmmm…. I wonder if the children agree that flour is not such a great idea for spelling. LOL When my children were young, I wanted to have a little fun with them – so I thought “wouldn’t it be fun as a kid to be able to jump around and play in the beans from a bean bag chair.” That was the most STUPID thing I have ever done. I proceded to dump all of the beans out of the bean bag and allow the kids to jump around and play in them. They had a wonderful time – and I had static little styrofoam balls EVERYWHERE – including the heat register – which ment I had those little buggers coming up here and there in the house through out the whole winter!
christina in mo
Kim.. the memory you gave your kids.. they will be talking about that for a lifetime!
Dumb ideas to grown ups.. are always the coolest most fun thing for a kid to do. If it’s not harming them in ANY way. Let them do it. Childhood is so short. We’re all grown ups way to soon and for wwaaaay to long.
oh and Heather.. I think the flour idea was pretty cool too! giggle
Margaret
Thanks for the laugh, I needed that this morning!
SparklieSunShine
Oh no! Messy. So you forgot to tell us how long it took to clean up. Doesn’t flour sort of turn to paste when you try to wash it off?
Elda
ROFL. I’m sorry but that is just hilarious. It’s like letting the kids shampoo their own hair and expecting to find ANY shampoo in the bottle when they’re done. Thanks for sharing your lesson learned with us. ;)
Amy in Idaho
Too funny! Baking Soda works great on cookie sheets for spelling!
mamalang
Bad idea for learning spelling words, but apparently great idea for creativity. and fun memories.
Mrs. Wilson
You’re hilarious! But a great mom for wanting to find inventive ways of teaching your son!
Mr. OMSH
I was wondering why I was coughing all night…
Would it politically incorrect for me to say…
Reminds me of that new version of a Jimmy Hendrix song: White Haze.
Kate
Hey, now you know! :)
Rachel
I let my four year old have a couple cups of flour to play in one day while I was trying to get some cooking done. It ended up everywhere but I’d say the peace and quiet I had for two hours was worth it :-)
mogsie
LOL!!!
I have to admit I would have never thought of half the things you have tried…
maybe keep the flour writer confined to baking days when the kitchen is a mess anyways??
though I’m not to sure what this word “baking” is!
:)
Mom2Six
Flour OUTSIDE might be nice. We used to play with it on the back porch when I was little.
I’ve heard you can put a little ketchup in a ziplock bag and they can draw with that. No mess, unless the bag opens by mistake.
Jacinta
You are such a wonderful mama! Children will never have memories like this from private or public schooling.
kelli
Hilarious! I find myself torn so many times between wanting to keep the place clean and yet let them have their fun! Ah… let them have their fun! :)
bethany actually
But flour is so fun to play with! It’s so nice and slippery and powdery. And hey, they’re old enough to wield a vacuum and a sponge. You DID have THEM clean up their mess, right? ;-)
inadvertentfarmer
ROFL…It’s funny you recognize the shortsightedness of flour for spelling but don’t mention at all the danger of building dams of it!
Great post!
kj @ Where my boys at?
next time do the activity outside on a calm day.
hose them off when done.
;)
Philippa
Great! We use blue hair gel in a ziploc bag or cornflour mixed with water. If you think the flour was messy, just try the cornflour. Awful! :-) Fun though!
Shannon
That made me giggle! What about fingerpaints and paper? The flour was not such a bad idea they got a science lesson out of it!
Anna
Well, I have done the flour thing… just don’t leave the room. ;)
I think that is true though of most of those write in stuff ideas.
I wouldn’t leave the room with my kids writing in shaving cream or pudding or anything else either!
Sometimes though you get a weird idea and think… maybe… maybe… they can handle it?
I remember once when my kids were very young and my DH was deployed and I left my one year old and my three year old alone eating mandarin oranges. I just had to use the bathroom! I heard lots and lots of giggling and came back to a room covered in sticky mandarin oranges!
So, how did you clean it up? I would be tempted to just use the vacuum.
Ruth Ann in East Texas
Hey Heather!
Boy, did this bring back memories of my mother letting us make messes when we were kiddos. She never stressed about anything! We had a large time with flour and MUD! :)
I hadn’t been back to your site in a while and forgotten I commented about a ring. And I mentioned it had to be a James Avery ring. So, here’s the email addy; take a look; he has the most unique, beautiful, Christian jewelry and other things as well! He started this business in his garage over 50 years ago making only Christian jewelry and only came in sterling. Now, after you see, you can get most anything! His Christian sterling stuff is still the most popular.
Thanks for making me laugh today!
Ruth Ann
http://www.jamesavery.com
enjoy!
heather
Ruth Ann in East Texas – Oh yes, what I was wearing WAS a James Avery ring, and I am very much aware of James Avery and his work. We lived in Kerrville where he manufactures and I think I was one of the first girls in my neighborhood with a silver, James Avery dangly ring!
Angela Tippets
Not quite as bad as my indoor swimming pool idea in the middle of winter -in MINNESOTA! -with LOTS of 2-year-olds -W.E.T 2-year-olds! I cranked up the heater, pulled out the plastic pool, set it up on my kitchen floor with lots of towels around. No matter about the towels -the floor and the carpet were SOAKING! The kids sure did have a great time though. The unfinished basement maybe would have been a better idea. Flour does sound like fun though -especially when you are elbow deep :)
Ruth Ann in East Texas
Love the dangly JA’s rings. So are you a Texas girl?