How to Use Scissors

Today Ian wanted to cut out his "jellyfish" from when we had preschool at our house a few weeks ago. Unfortunately that same week, he had a slight run-in (or should I call it a "cut-in") with his monkey scissors, as Chris likes to call them. I thought I'd run into the living room and grab my camera and capture this cute preschool moment, but when I came back to the kitchen where the four children were busily cutting away on their project, one of the four children had a small cut in the middle of his t-shirt. Betcha can't guess who that child was! So we talked about the importance of being careful with scissors and only using them for paper (that and mom was reminded that scissors are something that needs constant adult supervision). Since then I think Ian has been fine using scissors with no further cutting-of-his-clothes incidents.

Fast forward to today. He wanted to cut along the lines on this picture to cut out the small pictures. I was doing the dishes but turned around to see him trying to get the scissors to cooperate, but it wasn't working like he wanted. So I bent down and placed his fingers in the proper place--thumb in the top, pointer and middle finger in the bottom--then showed him how to move his thumb and fingers open and shut to make the scissors move. Of course he had been able to cut things on his own before without knowing this exact positioning. But his time was different. He wanted to know how to cut a straight line and to be more in control of the scissors. It seemed like a good time to show him the right way to work the scissors.

As I helped him place his fingers, he asked me to hold the paper while he cut. Then I watched as he carefully moved his fingers back and forth so he would cut right along the lines and realized how important my job as a mother really is. And it's not like I didn't know that already. But here I was in the middle of my kitchen floor, realizing that I had just taught Ian to do something he had not known how to do. And it struck me--that is what my job is all about. Since I had previously been crouching down to help him, after having this "revelation" I sat down all the way on the kitchen floor with him, holding the paper for him and reveling in this moment.

It was a good reminder to me of the vital role I have to play as a mother. Today it was how to use scissors. I am sure there will be something else tomorrow. Some of it may seem insignificant, but I think the point is that our children need to be taught and that is our responsibility as their mothers and fathers. And hopefully a lifetime from now, my boys will be good men, husbands, and fathers because I took time to teach them what they need to do. I hope with all my heart that I can do that for them, that I will take the time to do that, that I can be the kind of mother they need and teach and love them each day.