Think back to when you were little...what did you want to be when you grew up? A nurse, a fireman, a princess? I wanted to be a teacher! I used to line up my dolls and teach them to add 1 + 3 or how to spell cat and bat on my little old chalk board. I would even set them homework somedays...!
Children’s imaginations are boundless; at the moment my one son wants to be a fireman whilst my other has decided being a builder is too much like hard work so he now wants to be a truck driver. I know that these dreams are going to continue to change and as they do we’ll have fun dressing up and role playing together.
As a mum, I believe one of my roles is to teach my children how to show love, kindness, gentleness and appreciation for others. Along with this comes appreciation for the helpers in our community. Twice I have experienced firsthand the excellence of the paramedics that drive around in ambulances and answer emergency calls and we are really grateful for the help they gave us. I want my kids to appreciate and respect all the heroes we have in our community and understand what an important role they play!
I take opportunities when we are sitting on the floor playing with cars and trucks to talk about policemen and “road builders” (as my one son calls them), or the times we have to quickly pull over in the car to let an ambulance or fire truck past to chat about the importance of paramedics, doctors and fireman. My children enjoy chatting to our friendly “Postman Paul” and thanking him for our parcels. And what about where our food comes from, what would we do without our helpful, hardworking farmers?
I believe shining light on our local heroes is important and it can be done in a fun, creative way! Each of these jobs require specific tools, vehicles, uniforms etc., which are easy ways to identify and learn about these hardworking heroes. The My Busy Bots bag called “When I grow up” was created as a way to teach my boys to value and appreciate all of these roles and understand how they contribute to the community we live in. I hope it also inspires you to share these great people with your children!