The Potato Peeler

Last Sunday as I was getting ready to make dinner an eager little Doop excitedly asked if he could help. He wanted to peel the potatoes. He wanted to peel them bad. He wanted to help. This happens a lot. Often times it is so easy to just say no and get on with the task to get it over with, but I have learned over the years that it is important to let my children learn new things, especially when they are so anxious to do so. This is for sure something that won't last forever so I feel like I should take advantage of it while I can. So this time when he asked I felt like it was well worth the extra time it would take to let him participate and share a learning moment with him. With the final nod of approval from me he climbed onto my lap and awaited instructions. It's one thing I really appreciate about him. He is willing to listen and stay within the bounds of the instruction given. He could not wait to figure out how the potato peeler worked. I was a little nervous about him cutting his fingers, but he allowed me to hold onto the potato on top of his little hand, and he really listened when I guided him on what to do next. He was quick to move his chubby fingers out of the way each time the peeler passed by them, and he felt great satisfaction as I praised him for his good work. I must say that it was the best part of my Sunday. He successfully peeled 7 potatoes for our Sunday dinner, and when we were through he beamed with pride over his accomplishment. The smile and the dimples besides the tongue twisting back and forth as he peeled made this experience even more worth it. I feel like these are important moments to share with him. I want him to gain confidence that he can do hard things even at a young age. I want him to learn that if he follows the rules he can stay safe, and I want him to know that taking the time to help him grow is very important to me. I hope he remembers these things. Especially since he is at the age where he wants to do so much and be so independent. I hope he will continue to allow me to participate with him by his side for a long time. I hope he knows how much I love him, and how much I will appreciate this memory of the potato peeler. We will forever have this image to remind us.

Image courtesy of JM. It may not technically be the best photo, but really when you're capturing memories they really don't need to be. It's just important that you capture them. :) Thank you for stealing this moment from time JM. I will cherish it forever.