Summer is all about spending some quality time with your friends and family. Since your kids will be on a summer break, you will have much more free time for activities you can enjoy together. Why not make one of them sewing?
It’s interesting, you can do it no matter how hot it is, and it helps develop some very useful skills. The best part is that you can teach it to your kids regardless of their age. Which means you can sew with your younger and elder children all together.
Let’s take a look at some other reasons why you should teach your kids to sew.
Why teach your kid how to sew
It doesn’t take long
One summer break should be more than enough time for your kids to master the basics of sewing. All you have to do is to split up the projects they’ll be working on into smaller chunks. Then let them complete the entire task bit by bit, chunk by chunk.
Television watching or sewing? The choice is clear
Most television programs are mind numbing and are far from educational. Your kids will watch it though, if they don’t have anything better to do. So just find them some instructional videos that are children friendly and help them use the computer for learning how to sew.
It will make them the cool kid among their friends
Children know how to value a skill. When they see that their friends can create or do something on their own, they will consider them very cool. If your kid makes or alters their clothing pieces or toys and shows them to their friends, it will make them stand out as the amazing individual in their group.
It will keep them away from dangerous summer heat
Summer days can get unbelievably hot and sunny. When your kid stays out during these periods, they can easily get sunburns or even a heat stroke. To save them from that, keep them inside and let them sew during the hottest time of the day.
How can you teach your kid to sew?
Keep their age in mind when giving them tasks
Sewing is appropriate for kids of all ages, but you can’t exactly give a four-year-old the same task you gave to an eight-year-old. Young ones don’t know how to use their hands and fingers with much precision. So, they need to start with simple tasks that will prepare them for precision work later on. Have them cut up some fabric first, thread the needle, or just take measurements. Once they get accustomed to this kind of work, you can give them some more demanding tasks and show them how to use a kid-friendly sewing machine. Just pick a machine appropriate for the kid’s age. While you don’t want something with too many bells and whistles, at the same breath you don’t want to take a machine they’ll outgrow quickly. Also remember to put safety first. Supervise young kids at all times as sewing machines are real power tools and can be dangerous if used incorrectly, especially with little fingers around.
Find some children friendly sewing books
You can find lots of books on sewing that are meant for children. Depending the targeted age group, they can be more like a picture book for younger audiences or more like a regular book for older children. Kids can read them on their own or together with their parents, whichever way they prefer it.
Have them create things they will use
Making something for yourself can be very motivating. When you know you’ll end up with a new item of your own, you won’t give up no matter what. Kids understand this so if you let them sew something they want to have, their desire won’t be lacking. They can decorate their clothes by sewing on a motif or a patch. They can make their own plush toys or doll clothes. Or they can make room decorations like pillow cases or even entire pillows.
Did you find this article useful? I hope you did, and I hope you’ll teach your kid how to sew very soon.
