A spoonful of sugar: Making jobs fun for children

"A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down" 

Last week, it was raining when Ned and I arrived at preschool. This meant that instead of beginning outside and playing in his beloved sandpit, the class began inside. What greeted the children was a table full of tiny puddles of flour, one in front of each child's seat.  But these were not ordinary puddles. They were puddles of love, each one inviting the child to the table with a star, a moon or a love heart shape visible.

Imagine that!  Magical friends (or loving teachers perhaps) who take the time to add a drop of imagination and love to a purposeful task.  Somehow, I can't imagine that the children in this group will ever think that baking bread is a chore or repetitious or boring.  No. Never. To them, the preparing and baking of bread is huge fun.  The teachers made it so.

I'm forever singing one particular song to myself on housework day.  It just pops into my head every single week and I have a lovely time adding trills to my voice and singing my heart out a la Julie Andrews.   Do you remember it?  

In ev'ry job that must be done
There is an element of fun
You find the fun and snap!
The job's a game

And ev'ry task you undertake
Becomes a piece of cake
A lark! A spree! It's very clear to see that

A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go down-wown
The medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way

It is true. Mary Poppins has been singing it for years.  Make the job fun and it will be done- easily!! 

 I can't help but wonder if Ned's teachers might have just been to the Mary Poppins Nanny Training School.  Mmmm....   I wonder what other tricks they might have up their sleeves?  

I'll keep you posted.