thoughts on baking

tyler came home this week with a request for me to make some sort of baked good for his band party. my old stand-by for school treats are brownies (from scratch). tyler had also requested the same, so it worked out.

usually, i make it with tyler assisting in some capacity. however, this time around i decided to turn the tables. since he has had plenty of experience helping me bake, why not allow him to do it himself? i literally did nothing except stir. but that was only for about 60 seconds at most. once he was on a roll, he insisted on doing everything himself. even the stirring (usually his arm gets "tired" after a brief stir and i end up completing that task).

i was merely a guide.

i only gave suggestions when he asked for them, and i allowed him to discover his own baking methods-keeping mine to myself. sometimes it's hard to let-go and allow your child to do something on his own, even if it's something as trivial as baking. and it's difficult to resist the temptation of making your child do something your way. sometimes there are many roads that lead to the same destination. likewise, a child's own method of doing something may not be the parent's way. it may not even always be the most effective method, but it yields the same result. the best way for a child to learn is to try it. even if they fail. then try again.

and the end result...

delicious, moist, chocolaty brownies (he did not come home with any left over).