Learning by Example

This past week has been full of learning. I have been learning, testing and experimenting with baking bread. I started last week with my first success baking cinnamon swirl bread. My whole wheat bread was not so successful. Due to my failure I was determined to figure out a way to bake the perfect loaf of whole wheat bread.

I never thought of failure as a "good" thing. Yet, it is failure that sent me on a mission this past week. I spent hours pouring over recipes and blogs. I finally decided to combine the process from my failure and several ingredients with another recipe's ingredients, and created my own smash up recipe for whole wheat bread. The bread is INCREDIBLE! I learned that I can actually create a successful bread recipe, and had success making dinner rolls, and have french bread resting in a bowl on the counter as I type. I CAN bake bread. This is something I have failed at my entire life until last week, when I had success with cinnamon swirl bread. I didn't give up, even when I failed. Failure this week was good, because it taught my kids to persevere and find a way to do what your mind is set on. 

Yeah. I know. It is only bread. Yet, it has been something I have always wanted to be able to do. Plus, I had three girls cheering me on through my failure. I even had suggestions and Natalie decided she wanted to help and learned along side of me. 

I also learned that as a mom who unschools, I need to lead by example. I need to demonstrate that even adults learn through failure. I need to be a cheerleader to all three of my girls. Cheering them on when they experience both success and failure. Reminding them to persevere when their interests and passions seem out of their reach. 

I could tell you about everything my kids learned this week, but I'd rather point out that baking bread taught us all a HUGE lesson. This was not all my girls learned this week, but I feel it is the most important.