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| The finished product |
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| Top of the chair |
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| Seat |
The process of making this Yearbook Chair was quite simple really. It was a two step process:
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| Step 1: Elmer's Rubber Cement to glue the hand written notes to the chair Step 2: Mod Podge Spray to seal the names written & the notes afterward |
Step 2: Evenly spray the Mod Podge over the entire chair. Coat 2-3 times, waiting about 15 minutes between applications.
Enjoy your new piece of mixed media collage when completing next year's homework assignments!
The craft brought up a lot of feelings about my own childhood & stirred up some emotions I had forgotten about. Do you remember what it was like to be a child? I often try to put myself in my children's shoes to be able to relate to them. Sometimes it hurts (and truly that sucks) and I end up retreating into myself because someone has treated them badly. But many other times, I try to empower them by teaching a life lesson I wasn't made aware of until much later.
To be honest, my son has had a difficult 4+ years on school. He is very smart, although seemingly to smart for his own good, he often make really bad decisions. We have been called to the Principal's office on more than one occasion because of his choices. It certainly has gotten better over the past year, but he still finds himself in a world of poo, trying to figure out where it went wrong. Usually, it stems from his inability to control his reaction when he gets upset. Like I said, he has grown leaps & bounds this year, but he is still far from perfect.
As a Mom, I feel like no matter what, I should make my child feel loved. Sometimes, it is very difficult to keep my own embarrassment & anger in check, but completely neccessary for his further development. Other times, I find myself using my own reaction as a way to look at the bigger picture. All kids make stupid decisions, but they need to realize they have a choice to make a different decision next time or choose to change the path they're on by looking ahead to the consequences of their actions.
So what have I done differently to help him make better choices? Like when he says something outrageously cruel and even threatening, but decides to be honest about what he said- I try to help him realize what he said was hurtful & he needs to make amends without berating him for reacting poorly to his own hurt feelings, and praise him for his honesty. I give him a hug & tell him everything will be ok. I remember back to a time when I did the same thing as a child & how I felt when even my parents made me feel like they weren't on my side, which didn't stop me from doing it again, it only added fuel to the fire. I don't want him to continue on this path because of my reaction, essentially the same thing I want him to learn.
Or when he chooses to go along with the crowd by doing something he thinks he may get in trouble for, and when he gets caught doesn't point his fingers at the others involved, but instead takes responsibility for his part & accepts his punishment. I also have a choice to make when I find him doing wrong, I can either flip out & make him feel badly about what he did, or I can use it as an opportunity to teach him Why I don't want him to (ie. cross the mainroad without a parent, go swimming in the lake without a chaperone etc.) & how I would feel more importantly if something horrible happened to him. I try to show him how much he is loved instead of making him feel stupid for following the crowd by using such phrases as "If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you?" or "I said NO, and that's final!" as my reason for not wanting him to do something dangerous.
By showing him that he is an important part of our lives & that he has the ability to choose good decisions for himself, he has chosen to surround himself with kids who are likely to make good choices. He has had more friends over to our house to play, which I think has raised his self-esteem and brought out some really humorous parts of his personality that may have been otherwise stuffed down inside him. He has not only grown in his decision-making ability, but has become aware of how his choices affect others. He has developed his sensitivity from reacting instantly when his feelings are hurt & lashing out to being able to relate to someone else's reactions & responding appropriately.
I have always told him I don't expect him to be perfect, because I don't want him to feel he has a certain standard to live up to. I want him to be proud of who he is & cultivate the differences in his personality, but not at another person's expense or performed with malice.
