How To Teach Kids The Kintsugi Concept

di was growing a plant for a project in his science class. He was excited to start the process and made sure to have all the materials like pot, soil, and seeds. He found a good place for the pot as well. But his excitement didn't stay for long, he hardly went to check on his plants or water them regularly, and soon he could see how the leaves of his plants were drooping and it was dying.

I reminded him about the plant couple of times and encouraged him to take care of it, but he was too busy to do so. He would do it when reminded and then he would stop again. One day someone in the house kept it on the wall and it was knocked by the wind. He was so sad to see his plant broken.

I saw how sad he was and I took that opportunity to bond with him. We talked about the importance of taking care of things and how it needs our love and attention for them to grow strong and beautiful. We talked about how we could fix the plant if we tried hard enough and so we decided to try and save it.

We added some more soil, fixed the pot, and got some other supplies that could be useful for repairing the broken plant. We went through the step-by-step process of fixing the tree together and it was a fun experience for Adi. He felt proud that he had fixed his plant with his efforts.

We discussed Kintsugi

-the Japanese art of fixing broken pottery? I tried to explain it to Adi and how we could use that same concept to repair his plan. He was so excited and happy with the idea that he immediately started looking up articles tutorials, and videos on Kintsugi. He enjoyed learning about the process and the philosophy behind it.

Things Adi realized after this experience:

1. It is important to take care of things and not just throw them away when they get broken- Adi insisted we repair things around the house instead of buying them immediately.

2. Creative problem solving- Instead of feeling disheartened when things don't go as planned, it's important to think of ways to make it work. We managed to repair Adi's plant and this experience encouraged him to be more creative with problem-solving.

3. Every mistake or accident teaches us something valuable about ourselves and our environment.- Adi has been checking his plant regularly and paying more attention to other things around him

4. We should never give up and be willing to try new things to find solutions- Giving up and throwing away the plant was an easy option but we decided to try and fix it. This experience encouraged Adi to push himself out of his comfort zone and try new things.

5. Collaborating with others can bring about better results than working alone- when Adi came to me I told him that we could fix it together and this made him feel better and also motivated him to work harder.

Adi and I enjoyed our time fixing the plant together, as it was a great bonding experience for us both. He learned so much from this simple task and I was glad that I could share my knowledge and experience with him. It is a memory that we will always cherish.

I shared with him how my grandmother used to repair things around her home and how she believed in the idea of fixing things. As a child, I have seen her repair things and reuse old stuff to make new things. This experience made me very happy as it was a great way to teach Adi the value of repairing and reusing things.

I still have blankets that she had stitched with old sarees and I cherish them very much as memories of her. Adi was surprised that how these things can be so valuable and that made him understand the importance of preserving memories.

Adi was inspired by these stories and he has been actively trying to repair things around the house instead of throwing them away.

Adi’s broken plant project gave us both the opportunity to strengthen our bond, learn valuable lessons, and have a great time together!

He now knows how to take care of his things better and he is highly motivated to continue his gardening project.

He has also started taking extra care of all the things around the house which gives me a sense of relief as a parent. So, bonding with kids over broken plants can turn into something meaningful and beneficial for both parties.