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Holly S's avatar

And it continues (or maybe I failed to adequately teach this at an earlier more appropriate age)…just yesterday my 23 year old Ivy league educated son asked me where the car washing supplies were located and then for a refresher on the “one bucket method” I use to wash my car (no garden hose needed). It was actually so nice to walk him through the steps and the supplies to use for each. It’s so rare to have knowledge he needs these days and I’m honored that he asked instead of Googling it!

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Edan Lepucki's avatar

Aww I love this! Can I please also attend the One Bucket Seminar: Methods in Car Washing?

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LF's avatar

I also need to attend this seminar!!

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Stephanie Austin's avatar

This is so real. I am walking my 10-year-old through basic kitchen skills right now, and it's a whole thing. (Partly because I realized I still do everything for her, and that's not good for either of us.)

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Edan Lepucki's avatar

It's soo much easier to just do it all for them! I feel you on this...

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Grace Farris's avatar

Love this Edan. I’m trying to teach my almost ten year old to ride a bike right now and even though I have offered so many seminars, office hours, weekend colloquia, we have made zero progress! In the enduring words of Taylor Swift, “all I do is try, try, try.”

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Edan Lepucki's avatar

It's interesting how some skills for some kids are SO hard for them to master. It took Ginger quite a while to learn to bike ride and swim but she was determined...and yet it still took some time! Good luck to you, Professor!

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Kam's avatar

I loved this piece, Edan. It is so important to learn those important skills like shoe tying! It’s frustrating. The explanation of it all was right on.

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Edan Lepucki's avatar

Thank you, Kam! It is frustrating, but, yes, also so worth it!

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Robby Bailey's avatar

I am close to forty and I am still learning things from my mother, hope that never goes away.

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Edan Lepucki's avatar

Aww so sweet.

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Chris Daley's avatar

I used the two bows tied together method long into adulthood. (What happens when you have to teach yourself.)

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Edan Lepucki's avatar

No shame in that! I tried to teach Mickey this method and he refused, saying it was too babyish! (lol not that he can do it the other way...)

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Patricia Zaballos's avatar

So good! My youngest sorely needed The Shoelace Symposium. I have a vivid memory of him at 11, when I brought him to New York to act in his older brother's college thesis film, and some young gal on the crew was bending over to tie his shoes while I watched through a window, sheepishly.

(I do wish I could have a conversation with Kathryn Jezer-Morton--whom I absolutely respect--about homeschooling. As a public school teacher turned homeschooler, I'd love to dig in with a little more nuance. I will say this: as a homeschooling parent, the #1 lesson I learned was how to teach *less.* My teaching tended to get in the way of my kids' learning. I had to learn to support them differently. It was a ride!)

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Edan Lepucki's avatar

Oh wow how I love this memory--we all have a version of this! I thought KJM's article was pretty balanced and it seems like she reserves the most criticism for the parents who make money off selling the homeschool lifestyle online--that's a whole other ball of wax. I do think a conversation between you two would be stellar, though. A teacher turned teacher (ha) really is a fascinating story!

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Patricia Zaballos's avatar

Or a teacher turned non-teacher, which is really the crux of the story. 😌

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Cecil Castellucci's avatar

Shoelace Symposium! It's funny one of my core early memories is the day I learned how to tie a shoe. it didn't make sense and then voila I could pull that lace through the bunny.

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Edan Lepucki's avatar

Same here! I was on the playground of my preschool and I was so exhilarated!

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Mia Alvarado's avatar

"Time for the Symposium!" I'm gonna try this on myself with, like, scheduling dentists' appointments.

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Edan Lepucki's avatar

ha ha--good idea!

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Darcy Vebber's avatar

Delightful!

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Edan Lepucki's avatar

thank you! :)

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