I bought a Disney Puzzle Pack this weekend that has 8 different puzzles in it, and just in time with a snow day today!  Each of the kids took a turn selecting a puzzle to do with me. They’re fairly small puzzles, so having two people work on them is about right.  We’ve done four puzzles so far, and here is an observation I made.

Ada was first, and she likes to sort the edge pieces from the inside pieces.  She also makes sure NONE of them are connected already.  That would be cheating.  She then delegates which two sides we will each work on, then which princesses we would each work on so we can pull out the pieces we need from the pile.

Eli was next, and he also sorts the edge pieces from the inside pieces.  He makes sure the pieces are all face up.  He announces which part he is working on, but if it gets too complicated he jumps to what I’m working on.

And then Grace.  Grace finds the pieces that are already connected and starts there.  No sorting, no face-up nonsense.  Just go, and start with what’s already been done for you.  We didn’t decide what we would work on, we just started.

I like to sort AND have them face up AND have them disconnected.  But today I just watched.  I let them each take the lead in their puzzle, and I watched, for the first time.  Here is what is important for me to remember: they all got their puzzle done.  It wasn’t my way, and yet they all finished their task.

I need to find a way to make this translate to other tasks like cleaning their rooms.  I guess in some way I do see it: Ada needs to know what to work on first, second, third, and so on.  She can’t just go beginning to end on her own.  She needs a plan.  Eli works pretty well if I’m in the room with him.  I don’t even have to be helping him, I’m just there.  Grace just shoves everything wherever she can find a spot.  Maybe I can encourage her to start with “what’s already connected” or what has the least amount of work to be done.

Hmmm…I need to think on this some more.  I need to remember that they aren’t me, they have their own ways of doing things.  And that’s good.  Four me’s in the house would be trouble.

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