Painting with my Kid

[qos]

I spent about an hour taping the trim in my office (later realized I needed to do the ceiling edge too - doh!), and then started doing the "cutting" -- painting next to the masking tape. My daughter came in several times asking to help. I put her off for a while, because I wasn't confident her eight year-old self would be able to handle the roller. But she persisted, and I finally figured I'd let her try. I didn't expect her to last more than fifteen minutes.

The little critter did the whole blessed room! I taped and cut, and she went to town with the roller. And this was a 12" wide roller, which got a bit heavy when coated with paint. But she did virtually all of the walls, getting up on a chair when she couldn't reach high enough on her own.

We took a break mid-way through, eating chilled shrimp with cheese and crackers and drinking soda while sitting on the floor in the living room. The new couch beckoned temptingly, but we both had paint on us, and so the couch is off limits until after showers. (But it looks gorgoues! It's a perfect fit in the space, and the color is rich and just what I wanted.)

I half-expected her to flake out after the break. Sometimes once you stop moving it's hard to get started again, but she finished the job, including the clean-up.

It boggles my mind that the only help I had today was my little girl and she was all the help I needed. It made the whole job much more fun than it would have been, and brings a new depth to my appreciation of her.

Comments

[gothic-coop.livejournal.com]

We must remember never to under estimate our children. They will shock and amaze you every time.

[toesontheground.livejournal.com]

That's lovely for both of you :)

[tamnonlinear.livejournal.com]

I spent the day yesterday (6+ hours) painting my bedroom, and all that time I could have simply have used child labor?

Seriously, good kid you got there.