Dollhouse Construction:6 Ways To Work With Your Children
Dollhouse building and decorating can be a family bonding experience. Through our experience in dollhouse making we have discovered that there are 7 fundamental things that you should do when building dollhouses with your family. This articles purpose is to illustrate these 7 ways to be of benefit in your next dollhouse family building experience.
1. Be Patient
Patience really is a virtue. I know that I have learned more about patience in raising children then I would have ever before. It should come as no surprise that the first item on this list is patience. We recommend that you not only have patience with your children as they so excitedly want to help you out with this project - we also recommend that you have patience with yourself. Sometimes timelines can put added stress on building your dollhouse, and if you need to have this project done for a Christmas gift or birthday present then I would recommend that you call a baby sitter, because frankly adding children to the mix is going to slow it down tremendously.
On the other hand, if you are planning to use this dollhouse building and furnishing as a family adventure, then there really is no time line on family fun. Now don't misunderstand me - I do want you to get this project done, but at your familys pace.
Patience is also needed to teach and re-teach your children certain dollhouse building techniques. Unless they have done this before, or are graduating in hobby making, it is unreal to believe that they are going to grasp every concept the first time. Teaching children simple techniques is part of the process, and should help in brining family closer together.
2. Let them help where they can
All children above 3 years can help out in one way or another. It is up to us as parents to discover their unique gifts or talents that they can contribute in building this dollhouse. If your preschooler is great at stacking, then give them the assignment to hold up a wall for the dollhouse while it dries. If a child is very detailed oriented then put them in charge of the painting or even the dyeing. You will be surprised in the amount of accomplishment that a child feels in completing one of your tasks. The sense of accomplishment will continue even after the project is done, and reminds them of how they really can do a good job.
3. Reward their accomplishments
There is no accomplishment too small that it needs to go unnoticed. For some children the mere fact that they want to join you is an accomplishment. Others can be rewarded for cleaning up after themselves, or for doing a great job in holding a certain piece so that it can be glued. Take time to stop the project to admire the work of your children. Positive reinforcement will have more of an impact in making it fun than any other tactic.
4. Plan for the next day
Every crafter sizes up a project, and if you are like me, compartmentalizes all of the tasks into a daily or weekly schedule. Make sure when you are doing your mental planning that you invite your children to participate. Perhaps you could draw up a to do list for the dollhouse, making different colors for the most important things and the less important things. When something is finished have your child cross if off the list, and congratulate both yourself and your child in what you have done.
Planning with your child will also help them participate. They might want a particular project and will be able to ask for it themselves. Also, by planning, everyone will know what everyone else is doing, and it will decrease the amount of fighting over different jobs that they might like.
5. Take a break
A very important step is to take a break. We recommend that you build your dollhouse in a corner of the house or in a room that is not used too often. This way you can leave your project as needed to take a break. This project might be a slow one, but remember that the end goal is family togetherness. If you are getting frustrated with the situation, it is far better to stop take a break than it would be to push through.
6. Remember, it is more about teaching than building
In the end, if you have a vision of what you are really accomplishing, it will be better on the whole family. Again, I want to stress the point that if you need to complete this project for someone else or have a deadline, perhaps you should plan accordingly. If, however you are planning to make this a familial event, then take the time to teach your children about quality craftsmanship and enjoying ones work. If these lessons sink in, you will have accomplished far more than a beautiful dollhouse. You are building strong children who know that if they put their heart into something they will be able to accomplish it, and accomplish it well.
1. Be Patient
Patience really is a virtue. I know that I have learned more about patience in raising children then I would have ever before. It should come as no surprise that the first item on this list is patience. We recommend that you not only have patience with your children as they so excitedly want to help you out with this project - we also recommend that you have patience with yourself. Sometimes timelines can put added stress on building your dollhouse, and if you need to have this project done for a Christmas gift or birthday present then I would recommend that you call a baby sitter, because frankly adding children to the mix is going to slow it down tremendously.
On the other hand, if you are planning to use this dollhouse building and furnishing as a family adventure, then there really is no time line on family fun. Now don't misunderstand me - I do want you to get this project done, but at your familys pace.
Patience is also needed to teach and re-teach your children certain dollhouse building techniques. Unless they have done this before, or are graduating in hobby making, it is unreal to believe that they are going to grasp every concept the first time. Teaching children simple techniques is part of the process, and should help in brining family closer together.
2. Let them help where they can
All children above 3 years can help out in one way or another. It is up to us as parents to discover their unique gifts or talents that they can contribute in building this dollhouse. If your preschooler is great at stacking, then give them the assignment to hold up a wall for the dollhouse while it dries. If a child is very detailed oriented then put them in charge of the painting or even the dyeing. You will be surprised in the amount of accomplishment that a child feels in completing one of your tasks. The sense of accomplishment will continue even after the project is done, and reminds them of how they really can do a good job.
3. Reward their accomplishments
There is no accomplishment too small that it needs to go unnoticed. For some children the mere fact that they want to join you is an accomplishment. Others can be rewarded for cleaning up after themselves, or for doing a great job in holding a certain piece so that it can be glued. Take time to stop the project to admire the work of your children. Positive reinforcement will have more of an impact in making it fun than any other tactic.
4. Plan for the next day
Every crafter sizes up a project, and if you are like me, compartmentalizes all of the tasks into a daily or weekly schedule. Make sure when you are doing your mental planning that you invite your children to participate. Perhaps you could draw up a to do list for the dollhouse, making different colors for the most important things and the less important things. When something is finished have your child cross if off the list, and congratulate both yourself and your child in what you have done.
Planning with your child will also help them participate. They might want a particular project and will be able to ask for it themselves. Also, by planning, everyone will know what everyone else is doing, and it will decrease the amount of fighting over different jobs that they might like.
5. Take a break
A very important step is to take a break. We recommend that you build your dollhouse in a corner of the house or in a room that is not used too often. This way you can leave your project as needed to take a break. This project might be a slow one, but remember that the end goal is family togetherness. If you are getting frustrated with the situation, it is far better to stop take a break than it would be to push through.
6. Remember, it is more about teaching than building
In the end, if you have a vision of what you are really accomplishing, it will be better on the whole family. Again, I want to stress the point that if you need to complete this project for someone else or have a deadline, perhaps you should plan accordingly. If, however you are planning to make this a familial event, then take the time to teach your children about quality craftsmanship and enjoying ones work. If these lessons sink in, you will have accomplished far more than a beautiful dollhouse. You are building strong children who know that if they put their heart into something they will be able to accomplish it, and accomplish it well.
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