As a boy I remember that Sunday Lunch would often mean me and my brother fighting over washing up – one washes one dries. It was with interest I started to show my boys how to wash up, much to their dismay.
Unfortunately I don’t have a dish washer, and having spent married life arguing over the best way to load it, I use to not bother – unless I knew I could unload it first! This is a common occurrence in many households especially if you watch the sitcom ‘Outnumbered’ LOL.
So we agreed basic rules like sharp knives shouldn’t go in the sink because you could cut yourself and ensuring the water was hot but not too hot to be dangerous.
However it was an interesting discussion, do you do dirty greasy dishes first because it is soapy or the cleanest glasses first so you don’t need to change the water and they don’t get streaky. How much water do you put in the sink? Then is it better to do it in small sections and air dry or do it all and towel dry? Each child had a different opinion, and how they do it at Beavers camp was soon proven not to be the best way to do it at home…. and in the end they got the washing up done.
However what was remarkable was when I looked back on the conversation, was the variety of ideas and issue they raised and had done at school; recycling and waste management, hygiene, speed and even how to stack the drainer!!! I had intended to teach the boys how to do the washing up, what happened was I helped them to discover the best way for them to do the washing up. The result was the same, it got done and done well, so I was happy.
However I learnt that just because I do something one way doesn’t mean it’s the best or even the most suitable for them, just because it works for me. I hope as they grow I can guide them in a similar way and ensure they find the best ways to suit them and still get the right outcome.
Till next time.
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