She'll teach me

[wayfaringwordhack]

The other day, Sprout and I set up a crystal growing experiment.* After the water evaporated from a shallow dish with Epsom salts, we observed the bits of string, wood, rock, cement, etc. to see which materials the crystals grew on the best.

Sprout: The crystals didn't like this metallic pipe cleaner.
Me: Yeah, they seem to prefer natural materials over synthetic ones, man-made things.
Sprout: Human-made, Mom. You don't know if a man or a woman made them.

Right you are, Sprout. :P

_______
We set up three different solutions: 1) Borax 2) Epsom salts, and 3) Borax and Epsom salts.  Both 1 and 2 grew crystals, but the mix of Borax and Epsom salt, tested both hot and cold, didn't "grow" anything and nothing has formed upon evaporation.

Comments

[folklorelei]

Fascinating. And very well brought up Sprout. :-)

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

And very well brought up Sprout.

Funny you should say that since we are constantly questioning ourselves given her lack of "common courtesy and manners." We know a lot of it is age and it will come, but our parenting choices, like the unschooling, just seem to draw extra criticism and scrutiny.

[folklorelei]

You know what? People always think they know better when most times they don't know s**t. So you just keep on doing what you're doing.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

People do have a tendency to think that, don't they? The facile and right answers seem so evident to those on the outside looking in. And it is amazing (and a bit scary, too) to see how much people rely on school to "fix" kids. Do they remember school? I mean really remember?

*erases a bunch of ranty stuff*

[folklorelei]

Yes! Schools can't even fix themselves, let alone the kids in their care. Too many kids, too little teacher.