Birthday Do Gooding

Miles didn’t do a birthday project this last October for the first time. I generally help them come up with an idea and hold their hands as they take the steps needed for their goal. Miles got a bit big for his britches this year and kind of demanded some of his goals get done for him because ‘it’s his birthday and he shouldn’t have to work.’

That’s not really how I do things, so we stepped back from the birthday project. It wasn’t a big deal and I definitely don’t require they do a project. It’s honestly just a way to divert ‘stuff’ from our tiny house and hopefully it will give them a good sense of accomplishment when they navigate their (really hard) feelings that come with their teen years.

It’s been a few months since then and he’s in a growing spurt which has his sleep all screwed up. The other night, he came out of bed crying because he didn’t do a birthday project! He felt like he missed out. I assured him that it’s not too late and he could use his birthday as a reason to do something good any time of the year.

He decided that he wanted to make blankets for the cats at the shelter where we got Oreo from and give them to them for Oreo’s birthday. He said that even though we can’t give all the cats a home he would like them to know there are people who take the time to love them (by making them blankets).

I think before this quilting project he may have come up with that but he would just cut the fleece and call it good. Now he wants to make sure he goes through and ties each blanket himself. He also hates tying knots but is mostly insisting he does it all by himself. I’m pretty proud of the way this logical/literal boy is processing this abstract information he’s learning from quilting and from birthday do-gooding. He’s keeping Oreo’s memory alive by doing an act of service to others which is paid for with his love and not his dollars.

I mean, lesson=unlocked.

When we dropped them off the girls at the front were wonderful. They made a big deal for him and he asked that each kitty who gets a home gets one of these to come home with. We still have Oreos little blankie that made it home with him, he loved that thing.

And then we pet the cats!