We've had our first Rainbow Loom crisis. First, there were troubles getting some of the loops off the pegs without popping them off. Then, even when we thought it was all okay, one of the fancy Starburst bracelets must have been incompletely looped because it came off the loom and fell apart. Oh, the tears over these looms.
But I know that mistakes and failure lead to learning and so I try to be calm and help them fix it. We talked about practice and mistakes being part of learning a skill and how doing things at the end of the day or in a rush can lead to mistakes. Sis, who cried last night over the loom and actually ripped an unfinished bracelet off it in despair, woke up early and started all over. "I was too sleepy last night," she admitted. It's not always that easy.
And then there's the math homework. The worksheet last night confused Bud and then we found a mistake in it. But he couldn't quite believe the worksheet would have an error and there was some anxiety. And then there was a math worksheet a week ago--the question asked for factors, which I always think of as numerals, so when Bud became confused by the question (which was confusing, to both Mama and me--and I had college calculus!), I tried to help and we came up with what we thought was the best answer together. But the teachers corrected the answer with an equation or "multiplication sentence." And I wrote and she said we were right.
So, as much as I know that mistakes are a great teachable moment, sometimes I want to be right. Which is not a great lesson.
Oh boy did A do the same thing as soon as she started making her first bracelet. We didn't even get to day two before she was crying and frustrated trying to learn how to use it. But like you we talked about how mistakes happen, practice helps, etc. It's fine now. But I know what you mean….
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