I visited two sisters. The elder has a college age daughter. After the daughter took out clothes for a trip, her mother has to pack it for the journey.
The younger sister has a seven year old son. During the last school holidays, he went with his Sunday School teacher and a few classmates to visit a daughter church in another state. While relating how a child has to learn skills, I encouraged the younger sister to start training her son to learn to make lists and to pack his things with the mother's help.
From my own experience, seven is a good age to start. First let the child be present and witness how things are gathered and packed. The second time around, hand a list to let him gather what he would need. Then pack them into the bag or case, depending how much the child wants to do. Gradually, the child does more, and the parent less. Finally, the parent should make sure the list is complete and perhaps view the case before it is closed and then locked.
By the time a child is about twelve, he or she should be capable enough to independently pack for a school trip or a youth camp lasting a few days.
No comments:
Post a Comment