For those of you who know my INFP-ness will know that I'm a very reflective person and like to explore and understand things. A lot of times this feels like I'm dwelling on the bad stuff (even in the face of a 'win') which may be true but it also means that I'm reaching for better or exploring how to understand something from different points of view. It's hard to be graceful with this quality but as you can see, I'm working with it.
One of the expectations that I had heading into the party was that the activities would be emersive because they were tied to a captivating scenario/story line - that the idea of training to be a spy would provide a certain motivational inertia that would help them stick through some potential challenges of making something. But I think the gap between the two was too great. The simple circuit was too fussy and the concept of electricity too vague. When Max and I did it together, it was magical. I had every reason to expect that it would work like that with the other kids but it didn't.
There could be other factors at play here. Making the simple circuits required a willingness to try, fail and try again. It's easy to understand that the kids would expect it to work quickly and the first time. Most of everything else they do in school works that way. If it doesn't work immediately, they are lead to the conclusion that they've done it wrong. That the 'right' answers are within immediate grasp and they're supposed to just go get it. But there are two things that are debilitating about that sentence: 1) not everything as a right/wrong answer and not everything is immediate. These are things I'd like to help change, but I missed the mark last Saturday.
The other factor I keep wondering about is the involvement and role of the parent. When we were making the circuits we had some parents helping their kids and some kids on their own with cursory help from me and Thad. It was an interesting mix. The parents that were 'helping' were actually doing it for their kids, which is not how I intended for it to go. But I also totally get it; I find myself stepping in and taking over for Max a lot too. I have to stop myself from doing it. It's really hard. The kids who didn't get help from parents had to ask more questions and when they got to a tough spot would ask for help twisting a wire or something. I felt bad that their parents weren't getting involved but really pleased that these kids were working it out. I think it's hard for parents who aren't directly involved to help their kids troubleshoot and try out different possibilities; they end up being in a position where they don't have the answer and would rather drop it than figure it out. I understand; I've been in this position, too.
I'd really love to have a situation where parents are their kids' helper in a maker situation. I missed the mark this time, but I think I learned a bit about where that fine line is. Later in the party one of the parents asked me jokingly why they didn't get briefcases too. Interestingly, I'd thought of this A LOT when I was making the briefcases. I was really tempted - parents really really really deserve fun things too. And having fun things that are in stride with what their kids have drives engagement between them. It would have been a vastly different style of birthday party, but I'm rather enticed to consider this!