Can girls do woodworking? I never asked if she could do it and she never doubted she could. He didn't either.

This is what happened. I had my eight year old, Meagan, watch Paul Seller's woodworking DVD with her seven year old brother, Benjamin, and then took them out to the shop.

I carefully sharpened up an antique spokeshave a friend gave me some time back, clamped a board to my workbench, gave them a coping saw (not the powered kind!) and carefully supervised.

In the first session, they got about halfway finished. For Benjamin, this kind of project isn't really about getting work done, it is about being with his Dad. Mission accomplished.

For Meagan, it is very much about the work, and the creativity involved. She is anxious to get back and finish.

Woodworking is supposed to be hard, and it can be, but it can be satisfying even from the very first projects.

Truthfully, we weren't making spatulas. We were building skills and making memories.

Sorry, there were no pictures of the event. I will try to get some later.

There's life after school,
Luke Townsley
SaltMakers.com