[Nfb-krafters-korner] Looking around

[Henrietta Brewer]

Hi Dick
We are sure glad to have you here.  I have been writing an email each 
week with ideas for blind caregivers to use with the children they love.

I am a visually impared Grandma. Wait, I used to be visually impared. 
Now I am plain and simply blind.  I was lucky eenough to be raised by 
blind parents. That means lots of chances to learn. Well, it did in 
our house.  We were actually the sighted in the family. Even though 
we were legually blind we could see more then our parents.  My 
Grandma was sighted with three blind children and one developmentally 
delaied daughter.  She did this by the seat of her pants and on the 
farm, that many pairs of hands had to chip in to help.

You are very correct. Your Nephew needs to get dirty.  All he has to 
learn is when to clean up. lol  He needs to learn to run and ride 
bikes and fall and make mistakes and have lots of positive 
experiences.  He is very lucky to have Uncle Dick around.

I don't think you mentioned his age but if he doesn't think he is too 
big you can try my tried and true messy project.

Squirt a bit of shaving cream on a table, or if it has to stay clean, 
use a cookie sheet.  Use the shaving cream to draw and just 
feel.  The texture is so soft and nice that it is hard to say no. But 
if your nephew does say no, put the shaving cream in a zip lock and 
let him squish it around in there.  Soon it will be fun to do it on 
the table. This is a way to show some shapes, letters and such.  Hot 
wheels like to make tracks in shaving cream.

My Uncle, one of the blind ones, cut his grass by going bare foot. I 
know, very dangerous. But not cutting your lawn is not good either. 
He like to work with wood and remodeled several houses that later 
sold at a big profit.

My Mother is ninety four. She never let grass grow under her 
feet.  She bowled, skied, climbed mountains and raised us.  She and 
my Dad, who was also blind, ran two very successful business in their lives.

But you are right. Getting dirty is the first step. lol

Now you might hear more about our family on this list. My Sister is 
Carol Osmar. She is into reinactment right now and is doing lots of 
new crafts. She is deminstrating stick weaving at a local park next 
month.  She will probably show this craft to two hundred kids.

If you would like to email me privately feel free.

gary.brewer at comcast.net
HenriettaAt 02:28 AM 8/28/2010, you wrote:
>Hello everyone,
>
>I'm Dick and found out about this list through a teacher who works 
>with blind kids.  I hope this list is for everyone, including sighted folks.
>
>I am helping to raise my little nephew, and he's a totally blind kid 
>who is perhaps a tad socially delayed for his age.  I mainly try to 
>spend a lot of time with him and wanted to see how much he and I 
>could do together to stimulate him a bit.  He has been very 
>over-protected by his mom, who means very well but sometimes doesn't 
>know whether or not to let him do things on his own.
>I realize most guys don't really get into crafts, but I think 
>working with your hands can be fun and I have no problem with it.
>I hope there are other guys on this list to share with as well.
>
>One of the things my little nephew is not used to doing or maybe 
>doesn't like doing is to do a lot of exploring with his hands.  He's 
>not been encouraged.  In addition, he doesn't really like getting 
>his hands dirty or into things, because he's always been taught to 
>sit still and stay clean and all that stuff that most children don't do!
>I'd love to expose him to this sort of thing and perhaps get into 
>things where it will be inevitable for us to put our hands in things 
>and get a little messy.
>
>Is this out of the ordinary for blind kids, and am I doing the right 
>thing by wanting to work with him and play doing things with 
>him?  Is this a good list for good crafts and such?
>
>I'd love feedback and ideas.
>
>Dick Carlson
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Henrietta
~I wish you enough~