Wrapping School Books

My girl has received her text books and activity books for next year.

We sat down together to wrap them. “Can I try to wrap them myself mummy?”

The normally impatient mummy said ok. So she happily tugged at the plastic and pulled at the tapes. She did a reasonable job. She wasted some tape and when hers did not look as good as the ones mummy wrapped she scolded herself.

“Oh, you ah…..you are not good at this. You are wasting so much tape. Why mummy never scold me for wasting so much tape?”

I told her that she was a good girl to try to wrap them herself, wasting some tape was just part of the learning process and practise makes perfect.

“I did it!” She was very happy at her own little achievement of wrapping the books. I could see the self satisfaction that she derived from this small activity.

I must remember to let her do more of her own things without taking over the task. Quite often in my impatience, I either brush the kids aside telling them that I will do it or I rush them etc. From the way she scolded herself for not doing a good job and asking me why I did not scold her for wasting tape, I can see that I need to improve in this area.

Wrapping the books bring back memories of the time when I had to wrap my own school books. Those days, we used to wrap our books using the backs of wall calanders ie we’d turn them over so that the white part of the paper shows. Using calander paper was good because it was thick and glossy paper. Now, the kids have ready made plastic wrapper which you just slip over the books… however quite often they don’t fit exactly. Thats why we had to adjust them with tape.

I also remember the thrill of receiving new books and putting them all in my school bag which really looked like a suitcase. I still remember it was a red and black checked suitcase bag which when flipped open had a few compartments at the top. 🙂 I don’t think they have suitcase type of school bags anymore. Now all the children carry bagpacks or trolley bags.