Today, I spent a solid ten minutes helping Little Man to do some important practicing. He was worried about not being good enough, and he knows by now that hard work and practice are key to perfecting any art.
What was the subject of today's practice? Why, singing. Well, sort of.
Basically, he thought it important that he learn how to perform a song with a microphone, but still retain the ability to snap his fingers.
Readers as silly as Mammy might suggest snapping the fingers on one hand, while holding the microphone in the other. Foolish readers! That, it seems, would be cheating.
In order to get the practice underway, it was necessary to choose a suitable 'microphone' - and what better substitute than a cuddly sheep. Then we held talks to decide which end of the sheep to sing into, and the different reasons* why one end might be deemed a risky choice.
Finally it was time for the main event. Belting out one of our favourite songs, pausing at the end of every line to throw the sheep up in the air, snap fingers, catch and resume singing. It took some time to perfect, but thankfully we now have a new life skill under our belt!
Sure, he likes superheroes and Skylanders, footballs and trampolines, but sometimes it's good to remember that the best toy is a healthy imagination and the chance to use it.
*If you don't know how much fun this discussion was, I can only assume that you have never been six years old.
