My story today is about focusing and persevering with what's in front of me... my youngest daughter is sculpting a little dog.

Hello everyone!

Today I have another little story to share about my youngest daughter. Usually, when kids go to the mall or toy stores, they're especially interested in squishies. But my husband always says that cheap, non-original squishies are often contaminated with toxins. He says it might not be good for them to play with them too often. Sometimes I don't want my daughter to play with them because they break after only a short time – she plays with them quite roughly! So today, I came up with a way to give her something to play with that's far removed from store-bought toys: I made some homemade toys for her to enjoy.

I used tapioca starch I had at home, mixed with hot water and food coloring to create a pliable, moldable paste for my youngest daughter to play with while I cooked. Today, she chose to mold a dog—yes, you heard right!—she told me she would make a little dog for me to see. I prepared parchment paper for her to use so she could mold easily without making a mess on the floor. While she was molding, she looked so focused and concentrated. I love it when my daughter is focused on something; it's so charming and adorable.

My daughter spends quite a long time working on this, chatting as she goes. I always enjoy the moment when she's nearby to talk. I cook while my daughter sits and molds her little dog. Eventually, the dog takes shape, but it's not quite a perfect likeness. Sometimes, I can see her complaining about what she's not doing. Her playful activities teach her something at the same time; when she's molding the dog but it doesn't quite take shape, she gets a little discouraged and disheartened. This is the point I want to emphasize and teach my daughter: be patient and persistent in achieving something, even if it's slow or the first attempt isn't perfect. Subsequent attempts will show improvement. That's my story for today. Thank you for reading.

Thank you for your continued support and I'll see you in the next article. Bye!