beautiful failure

I have tried a lot of Apricot Slice recipes now. I’m trying to replicate that apricot slice from childhood, you know the one? It’s just perfect in my mind but nothing comes up to scratch. Well, tonight I tried to change a pineapple slice into apricot slice and it was definitely a fail. The kids didn’t mind, pour custard over anything and it tastes ok. But I knew. 

But as the Robinson’s say:  “Keep moving forward!” 

It’s important to talk to kids about failing, and sometimes check in and see what they are afraid of. As with all problems, the best answer can be a question: 

“What’s the worst that can happen?” 

Not a rhetorical question, but truly step out with your kids what could happen, and what is the worst. Then find the humour. So for example my little tree was recently worried about a test at school. So we talked about some of the terrible possibilities. He could not do well, do badly or even worse be so worried about it he would forget to get dressed and go to school in pyjamas!

(I find if the humour brings anything to do with toilets, it works especially well.) Then we look at the chance of that happening. Getting the calculator can always help out, you can’t argue with the facts. 

It doesn’t always work. The little tree survived the tests at school but came home from sports day upset. He hadn’t done as well as he had thought he would. I got straight into what’s the worst that could have happened and dealing with his thoughts, I forgot the biggest thing. To just be with him and have a cry and say that it does suck... Because sometimes no matter how much custard you pour on top of the apricot slice, it still sucks.  

I love this photo, it reminds me that sometimes,

 failure can be beautiful. 

Feel free to share your best failure or that hidden apricot slice recipe I am seeking.

Holly Treechange