Our kind of board meeting
Inspired by a powerful video, my son, Charlie (6 years old) and I had a Board Meeting.
Knowing all about wood and all its possibilities, imagine my excitement when Charlie suggested we build a Cubby House together as part of our very first Board Meeting.
Of course a trip to BUNNINGS was part of the deal when we discussed the endless possibilities of our Cubby House idea.
An electric doorbell and some rubber wheels formed part of Charlie's initial design. Unfortunately they didn't make the cut but it was fascinating listening to his reasons for using them.
So, after much discussion and negotiating we left BUNNINGS with a large ball of rope(!).
The plan was to weave the lengths of wood together. (It didn’t work. But at least we tried.)
Being keenly aware of the high cost of timber, we wanted to use the waste lengths of wood that were piling up in the workshop.
These became our building material. When I mentioned the word RECYCLING, Charlie got all excited that he knew about the concept and happily explained it to me. (A concept which had been positively reinforced to him in kinder.)
And so the serious Cubby House making began.
As part of our team, I was responsible for drilling the holes and Charlie's job was to connect the screws.
We got a lot done until Charlie suggested we should have a builders tea break.
So we did!
After our tea break we got back to work. It was time to start on the roof!
Charlie decided on a one-door-one-window design and he got a chance to use a real jigsaw.
It was wonderful to hear Charlie explain his building idea and to watch him visualise his plan.
I was reminded that when you're six, anything is possible when the freedom to imagine is so evident. Why not have a lift-up roof, a secret door or rocket boosters?!
Takeaways (life lessons) from our first Board Meeting:
Using recycled materials is fun because it makes you think outside the box.
The power of imagination is a great thing.
Plans and ideas evolve and we have to adapt.
It’s always good to be able to discuss, negotiate and compromise.
Taking ownership and pride in your work feels good.
The most valuable gift of all is TIME!
One week on, our Cubby House has settled in beside the veggie boxes. It has changed from CHARLIE’S CAFÉ to a MUSIC SHOP.
All of this from just one Board Meeting.
You gotta love it!
And guess what, Charlie did manage to get his DOORBELL after all. On top of which, we decided to use the rubber wheels for our next Board Meeting Project - a BILLY CART.
This whole BOARD MEETING experience was brought on much sooner than I had anticipated.
It's the direct result of this video. →
Turns out, building a Cubby House with my kids was always high on my TO-DO-LIST.
Slán agaibh.
Jim
