I is for Igloo

***So I was hesitant to post this because I sound so angry, but then again when am I not angry? Haha! But I do think posts like this are important because it is a good reminder to be more cognisant when we are interacting with our kids! Ask yourself what is the goal of the activity? Do you want to teach your kid something specific like Igloos are made out of snow? Or do you want them to practice cutting on the line? Or do you want them to simple just have fun? Having fun can totally be the goal! Either way, thinking about it leads to more meaningful and purposeful experiences for your little monsters!***


Okay so here it is: The very reason for my rant! This lovely craft that Yulli made at school!

I could hear the other parents ooing and ahhing about how cute it was! I did not ooo or ahh. I did not think it was cute or lovely. I was actually borderline super annoyed with it actually! Surprisingly, I am not a big fan when it comes to crafts for kids. But I don't mind when Yulli comes home from school or classes with crafts. I figure we rarely do any at home, so exposure is good and if she's having fun, then no biggie. I'm not sure why I cared so much or why it bothered me... but it did! Big time! Haha!

Number 1. Why on earth does it have "Marshmallow Igloo" written on it? Does the teacher think I'm an idiot that wouldn't be able to figure out what the heck it was? Or does she think Yulli will forget what she made? Either way... grrr! At the very least, the kids could have attempted to write "igloo" by themselves.

Number 2. I asked the monster about it. She said that igloos were made out of marshmallows and that penguins lived in them. Grrrr... and why doesn't blogger have emoticons? Or does it and I'm just not smart. Anyways... igloos are not made out of marshmallows and no, they are not a home for penguins!

Number 3. Yulli did not obviously write the words. She also did not cut out the igloo and glue it on. So what the heck did she do? She just glued the marshmallows on! I'm going to go out on a limb and say that there was probably no fine motor focus like using a pincher grasp to put the marshmallows on or placing one marshmallow on each block.

Number 4. Was it at least fun? Did you enjoy this craft Yulli? "No, we didn't even get to eat any marshmallows!" Haha oh the injustice of giving kids marshmallows but not even letting them eat any! I feel her pain!

So there you have it! This cute little craft (that I obviously don't even think is really cute) served zero purpose what so ever. At least it is a step up from an igloo coloring sheet! (You don't even want to get me started about coloring sheets ahaha! I'll save that for a rainy day.) If Yulli brought this craft home with her own attempt at writing igloo at the top, I would not have been annoyed. If she cut out the igloo and glued it on herself, I would not have been annoyed. If she learned that igloos are made out of snow and are human homes, I would not have been annoyed. If she thought it was fun, I totally wouldn't have been annoyed! Grrrrr...

I may be a little anti-craft to start off with, but I do think there is a time and place for them. I'd much rather Yulli bring home something super hideous that she created all by herself. Teachers and parents really need to step away from wasting so much precious time prepping crafts. I already know you can cut and write and color! I want my kid to practice all those things! Those efforts are definitely not appreciated (by me at least) and aren't doing the kids any favours.

Ok END RANT!!