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Notes on Class #3 (June 9, 2007)
Well the Saturday class/party has come and gone and boy was I amazed by how polite, considerate, smart and creative these kids were. The parents of two of the students stayed the whole time
and were WONDERFUL, taking pictures and generally just being a pleasure to have around. Eight 12 year olds showed up and one little sister who was maybe 7.
Here's the one big lesson I learned (and there were many): 12 year old kids don't care how many soaps (how much product) they go home with, they want to learn and experiment with everything.
I totally underestimated these kids. I started out with very small soaps so they could do one fast and let it set while we made a 2nd soap (which they could pick up another day). Well forget
that, we never got to the 2nd soap. This group wanted to make masterpieces of their first soap with all the detail, colors and scents available. They approached some mold I regarded as rather
simple and made them complex works of art. Some spent an hour on a 2 oz bar of soap. Every single soap turned out beautifully, which doesn't seem possible but that's what happened. This was
a dream class.
The kids were so excited and proud (and they used the word "proud") of their soaps that during the 2nd hour while we made a huge mess with fizzing bath salts they would step away to peek
at their soaps -- they were SO eager to unmold them. It was a 2 hour class on a warm and humid day so there was no way I was going to risk unmolding their soaps before the class let out with
no way to cool them down.
As the party/class was wrapping I was kicking myself for not bringing a camera this time so I offered to put a page up on my site of the kids finished soaps if they wanted to email me pictures
of their work. The mother was going to come back today (Monday) to pick up the soaps and possibly take pictures then.
The big lesson: when it comes to 12 year old girls, it's not quantity it's quality. Those kids would have gotten their "moneys worth" if they left their with a 2 oz soap with 6 colors and
their interpretation of a very cool design. They wanted to learn and experiment and push the envelope in ways adults just don't find practical. I'm SOOOOOOO proud of that group; I learned
a lot from them. Of all the things I learned, the most important thing to me was that I was merely there to help these creative kids realize their visions.
Oh, and let me not forget to mention my niece Maddie who is about the same age as the students. I had asked her to come and help not realizing how much I'd really NEED her. She helped clean
tools and heat soap and aid the students. I wouldn't do it again without her or someone just as competent -- she asked a couple of questions and then she knew what was needed and just did
it. Many thanks to my Strongman, The Swede, thank you for always being there for me and to the ladies of CRÉME who made this all possible.
I had a fantastic time and I really think they did too. I loved this experience.
PJ
info@pjsoaps.com
(I encourage and look forward to feedback & pictures of soap from my students/participants. Please obtain permission from a parent before submitting feedback.)
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