Hi everyone. Last week, Beckett had his Invention Convention at school. The Invention Convention allows 4th graders to present the process of an invention — from concept, to planning to final product. Sadly, I had to be at a medical clinic with my Mom and couldn’t be there. A close friend filmed this video and sent it to me.

Felt SO bad I missed Beckett’s Invention convention but here’s what a true friend sent my way. You can’t survive as a mama without true mama friends. So proud of my big boy! #beckett A post shared by Melissa Lawrence (@cloudmom_melissa) on Apr 28, 2017 at 6:05pm PDT



In life, we so often focus on the final product. When you see a woman dressed to the 9’s, you think “how gorgeous” without thinking about how much sacrifice and time went into getting there. We celebrate children at graduations, recitals and tournaments, even though it’s the practice time that got them there. We see the final production of a play or movie without thinking about all the time and planning that preceded that final version.

I’ve heard often that we parents should encourage our kids to concentrate on doing their best, rather than on achieving a goal. That way, no matter what the outcome, they gain. Our kids learn that when they stick to something, the reward comes through how they feel about themselves — competent, capable and strong — rather than what they’ve actually done.

I wouldn’t describe my kids as science-oriented. We’re more of a books kind of family, and we don’t do science experiments at home. Beckett’s invention, in that sense, was a foray for him into the world of envisaging a practical object that should have some utility. Beckett devised a “windshield” who purpose is to protect your face from the wind on the way to school. He found plastic and sewed it onto a baseball cap. I’m not sure I see this product ending up on an Amazon hit list, but the experience brought Beckett a lot. He felt proud of what he did. I watched that video as a proud mama feeling so guilty for not being there. When Beckett hugged me later on, saying not to worry and that he understood, that was the richest reward.

Wishing you all a wonderful week and see you back soon for some fun content.

Melissa

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