I’ve been teaching kids about fashion and sewing, now for almost 15 years. It’s a joy for me to see the excitement children bring to the classroom, while they learn to use the sewing machine and sew their own clothes. It’s both a technical skill as well as creative experience which uses all sides of their brains and gets them super jazzed as they progress from one level to the next. The thing they need most in this beginning stage (which could last years - more on that later) is Encouragement! Encouragement might look a little different from a parent's perspective than it does from a child’s point of view.
Let’s talk a little bit about the process in relation to kids. First of all, they are learning to use a POWER TOOL. That’s super badass, right? I think so, at least. Now think back to when you used your first power tool. How old were you? How did it go? How many screws did you strip trying to drill that into the piece of wood (raising hand here). It wasn’t so easy, right? Learning how to use the sewing machine is one thing. Afterward, you have to start to understand a pattern and how all that flat fabric turns into a 3D object. It’s actually quite a lot to comprehend. And that is why we tout, “Practice, Practice, Practice!”. Each new project will bring with it new skills to practice and eventually students start to understand the process as well as the vocabulary. It’s kind of like learning a whole new language with your hands.
When you apply all that to a young person, you really also have to keep in mind their age and developmental level. We start children at age 8. I’ve had some students start on the machine as young as 5, but have found that both fine motor skills as well as attention span, seem to be more developed by age 8. By age 12, in my experience, most children become more able to RETAIN the information they are learning and then start applying it to future projects. This is not the case for every child. Some younger students are able to retain information than older children, but in general, this is what I have seen. So why don’t we wait till their 12 to start? Because it’s so much fun. And because a lot of children really show an interest around age 8 (or even earlier). And the doing part is sooooooo empowering.
Keeping these concepts in mind, I’ve come up with a few do’s and don'ts when it comes to encouraging your child around sewing.
DO PRAISE! PRAISE! PRAISE!
Even if your child’s project looks a little lopsided or the stitching is messy. It’s so important for them to hear how proud you are of them. When my daughter was 6 or 7 she walked around with Harry Potter Novels and pretended that she was reading them. She was definitely NOT reading them. I explained this to my friend at the bookstore, who happened to be a teacher, and she told me that it really didn’t matter if she was reading them or not. She would get around to that eventually. Being into the story and the concept of reading was ENOUGH. It’s really enough that your child is trying. They are navigating all sorts of obstacles and they really need you to tell them how great they are doing.
DO show YOUR Interest in their pursuit
Inquire about their projects and what they like about sewing. Talk to them about fabric or even ask them to show you how to thread the sewing machine. This allows them to think a little more deeply about what they are actually doing and helps them retain the information they are learning. You may find you even learn a thing or two.
DO Let them choose their own projects
As a kid, I always had ideas about what I wanted to make and absolutely LOVED picking out the fabric. I became super invested in how my project would turn out and it motivated me to improve my skills. This is why we have an open studio format at The Sewing Room. It’s not always easy juggling instruction around several different garments, simultaneously, but it’s worth it, for the confidence the students get when they finish something they are excited about.
DON'T Criticize
Criticism is hard for everyone, and it’s especially hard for kids and hard for kids to hear from their parents. Criticism often discourages children from their pursuits because it doesn’t allow for the student to develop over time and improve at their level. It also adds pressure to something that’s supposed to be fun. The more involved your child becomes in their own practice, the more they will see their own mistakes and flaws. This is when (and only when) I ask my student, “is that going to bug you?” If the answer is “yes”, then they know what to do and if it’s “no”, then they can move on. They get my praise and support either way.
DON’T have them do your Mending & Alteration projects
(unless they want to fix something they broke)
Most of us want our pants to be hemmed professionally. So don’t make your beginning sewer do a project that should be done by a professional. If they ripped the pants they sewed themselves, that’s a different story, but alterations and mending is a CHORE for most people and can take the FUN out of the experience.
I would love to know what YOU find helpful when you are learning something new. Let me know in the comments.
Until Next Time,
Jennifer Serr
