That'll teach me!

I spent my Wednesday teaching what I thought was a well paid workshop - taking fleece scarves and adding buttons, appliqué, ribbons etc to jazz them up.  

I've obviously been lulled into a false sense of security by the lovely children I work with at school, and had forgotten what little ess-aitch-one-tees children from "hard to reach" families can be. 

The organisers gave each child a sheet with all the stall holders listed (me, the local museum, army cadets, children's centre, face painting: a dozen in all) and if they got a stamp from each of us they could enter a draw for a food hamper.

The kids came to me asking for a stamp, but I said the stamps were only issued after they'd made a scarf, so they sat downn to join me

These kids, mostly about 8 to 12, spent their time telling me they can't f-ing do it, telling their friends to b.. off, telling themselves their scarf is s**t or cr@p. Resources were dropped to the floor when they were finished with, others were chucked around (buttons were thrown at people) lids were left off the fabric pens, ribbons were cut into shreds just 'because', and a pin cushion was stolen!!!  

But on the plus side - 28 of them DID decorate a scarf, the one who shouted "I can't f-ing do this" through tears, (and may well have been on the autistic spectrum, I wish people would tell me) COULD f-ing do it by the end of the session, one girl spent nearly 2 hours working on her scarf, others started just to get their stamp, but got quite engrossed sewing on buttons and fabric scraps and cutting tiny holes and weaving ribbons.

And as I drove home wondering why in earth I had said yes, I drove past mr I can't f-ing do this, and mr chucking buttons at the back of my mate's head, wearing their scarves, and I realised THAT'S why I do it, they did something creative, they did it because they wanted to and they liked it enough to wear it rather than throw it in the first bin!