Curious Kids: Triangular Vacuums

The neat part about having kids is that they notice the small things, the stuff we take for granted as adults.  A few months ago one of my girls wanted to know “Why does the vacuum leave triangles on the carpet?”  It perplexed them when they were watching me because the vacuum itself is a rectangle yet somehow it manages to spit out triangles onto the carpet when I vacuum the floor.  Although the triangles are not necessary I let them know that seeing the triangles indicates to Mommy that the carpet has recently been cleaned and makes the room look nice.

They had been learning about patterns at school and this strange occurrence at home captivated their attention one day.  The triangles are created in a pattern by the way I steer the vacuum cleaner over the carpet.  It helps me know that I have cleaned the entire floor and adds an extra reward at the end.   It is the little things that you do that the kids pick up on and want to learn more about.  I don’t know for sure if they will do the same things once they are grown but at least they know why Mommy creates triangles on the floor and how to do it with a rectangle shaped vacuum.  I am thankful for kids who have the desire to learn, explore, and try to figure out how things work.  Their curiosity keeps me on my toes and allows me to continue finding ways to teach them about life.  As a Mom love this day to day education opportunity with my girls.