Ika Makimaki

A couple of weeks ago, the Little One captured a praying mantis in the garden.

They then went to the library and brought everything they could find about mantises, learned what they eat and built a fruit fly trap to keep it fed. They've also kept a scientific journal of it, now named KamaChan.

Recently the mantis shed its skin, a huge deal. Notes were made on the journal.
I feel a bit sorry for the critter, but LO is doing their best to be kind and keep it comfortable.

#parenting #unschool

Mar 2, 2025 at 2:07amWeb
Show threadIka MakimakiMar 2, 2025

On that note, shout out to librarians, consistently among the best people around, for listening and taking seriously a 5 year old who shows up asking for books about praying mantis.

Age appropriate, contextually relevant, timely, and useful information curated by a knowledgeable and caring human is something that no automated system can compare to. 📚

Show threadBob LeFridge  Mar 2, 2025

For a few years I've believed that librarians should be running the world. Everything would get done neatly, quietly and sensibly with no fuss and no arguments.

@pezmico

Show thread🇳🇿   ðŸ’‰*10 RogerMar 2, 2025
@BobLefridge @pezmico you may be onto something. A few years back, when the Auckland supercity was formed, there were disparate library systems that had to be merged, just as there were disparate accounting systems. For accounting it was huge. They decided to spend up large and develop a whole new system, throwing away the old systems, but merging the data from them (and they missed a lot). The librarians just shrugged and said, "All our systems interconnect already, of course."
Show threadNgati Pakeha KuiaMar 2, 2025
@pezmico Not only helping tots with information they help the jobless with CVs and WINZ forms, the elderly with learning computer skills, the homeless with a listening ear, compassion and hot drinks and pot noodles. So much more than just issuing books.