That was surprisingly, wondrously, fun.

[kyrielle]

Ian's crib arrived yesterday, needing assembly. So today, the plan was to have Scott assemble it while I watched Drew. I had an inspiration and asked Drew if he wanted to watch. He said yes.

Ian will be in our room the first several months of his life, so we were assembling it there, and Drew and I sat on the bed. Very shortly, we realized the upper bolts were right at Drew's eye-level, so he got to use the allen wrench to help tighten them. And then he got to help spin nuts off bolts (they come together, spin apart, put in appropriate places and back together) and to hop down and help with some of the lower bolts.

The crib got put together about as fast as it would've otherwise (I was able to help steady parts, which sped it up, but Drew's participation did slow it down), and Drew was THRILLED.

Not bad at all.

Crib looks nice, and fits where I thought it would quite nicely. The mattress arrives next week. And then I get to walk around a crib for a couple months in the name of being prepared, since its occupant won't be here for a while yet. ;)

Comments

[callibr8]

Oh, yaaay! We've done similarly, in terms of finding a way for either kid who says zie wants to help, to do something toward finishing a task. My prediction has so far proven true: if you encourage them when they're young, take them up on what offers of help you can, as often as you can, they'll keep doing it and take pride in developing the habit.

Yay Drew! Plus, it's a nice "big brother" thing to be able to tell Ian someday, that "I helped put your crib together before you were born!". :-)

[kyrielle]

*grins* Drew said he wanted to watch a video he really loves, My Friend Totoro. I really wanted him to spend less time in front of the TV, so I offered this - and he was very glad to accept. Honestly, I think he enjoyed this more than he would have the video (and he quite enjoys that, so).

And isn't it a great memory? It's one that will fade with time for him, but not before he can enjoy it, and Scott and I will remember.

I'll remember the look on Drew's face when Scott said this time was easier because he had help, and Drew realized in the exchange that his Daddy had put together his crib too.