pass it on

Something I so enjoy is sharing the joys of needlework and homemaking with the younger generation. I can't sing the praises of learning these skills highly enough, there are so many benefits...below are just a few I can think of off the cuff...

1) Greater self esteem: To be able to complete a project and say " I did that" is a great boost to a young person's self esteem. You can improve your sewing skills at quite a good pace if the projects are well planned and you don't try and run before you can walk AND you PRACTICE.

2) Improved motor control: This worked were the hand gym at school failed miserably. This is how I helped hone my own child's motor skills. The rhythmic action of sewing is so beneficial, you can greatly improve hand eye co-ordination with practice...even if it is learnt by the fact that you have to go slower and be more careful so you don't keep stabbng your finger with a needle!

3) planning skills: You soon learn that when you embark on a project they all need a logical order of work, and you will need the right equipment at the said times; an excellent way to learn planning...after all it is so annoying to get your teeth really stuck into something and then find that you have run out of something or forgot to buy something on your last shopping trip!

4) Grounding: When everything else thrown at youngsters these days is so fast paced, giving or expecting instant results, homemaking skills bring you back down to planet earth gently, teaching you that rushed and quick is not always better, time and thought produce quality. It is so nice to see youngsters enjoying themselves, sat together crafting and chatting with each other with no thought of the need for electronic machines to provide their entertainment. ( No I am not anti-television, video games etc, but it is nice to have the skills to make your own entertainment, at least it won't be a disaster for these children if there is a power cut! )

5) Portability; Alot of the homemaking crafts are highly portable. I never go on holiday with at least one crafting project packed.

6) Self Expression: Once you have learnt the basics there is no end to the ways you can express yourself. It is cliched but the only boundaries are those set by your own imagination. Not only can you express yourself creatively but by giving a gift that you have produced with your own hands is such a lovely way to express your feelings for a person. I can't think of many folk who would not like a gift that was made with them specifically in mind. To know that somebody has put the time and effort in to please you is such a boost!

7) valuing things. I certainly think that if you learn the effort and skill that goes into a piece it helps you appreciate the value of other things around you which can never be a negative thing.