A downshifter's Christmas present (for kids)
I hope this story might give you another idea for a present for a child on Christmas. And maybe you have a new idea for this year in return for me?! :D
#Getatypewriter for your kid(s)
Once I started downshifting in spring 2016, all pressure from my work was gone. The evening routine with putting my kids to bed became smooth and easy. There was no more "hurry-up" because I did not do emails in the evenings anymore. So after dinner and being ready for bed, we ended up on our sofa and my two kids were begging me for another story "from the old days" (meaning my childhood).
They loved the stories of my holidays at my grandma's house. I often told them how I used to play "office" using the old, heavy, black typewriter which was in an unused room. Many pages and self-created "forms" were filled by me with that machine in my imaginary office. They asked me more about the typewriter and I showed them pictures on the internet but they were still curious about that thing.
So I decided, they will get a typewriter. On the internet, I found a quite fancy typewriter in our city for just 10 €. The older ones are more expensive as they are very decorative... I guess...
I took a picture of our typewriter tonight, so you can see how it looks like. It is kind of a "notebook" version - smaller and lighter, in a box to carry.
The reaction: my children love it!
My kids' questions and remarks on it were brilliant and still make me smile:
- Where do I switch on? (Nowhere, it runs without electricity.)
- How do I change the font? (Nowhere, you just have one type of lettering. Look into the machine.)
- How do I change the type size (height of letters)? (Nowhere, there is just one. Look again into the machine.)
- How do I change colours? (On the right side, there you can choose between red and black. And this is already a modern typewriter. Mine at grandma's house had only black.)
- How did they correct mistakes? (This was difficult. You used something called white-out. But then you could always still see the place of mistakes. So for enterprises, it was important to have secretaries with perfect spelling and typewriting skills. Otherwise, it would have taken ages for correct and professional letters to their clients and partners.)
- It must have been very loud in the office with all these typewriters. (Probably, when I started my career, the typewriters were already gone...)
- Secretaries must have had very good muscles in their arms and hands as it is quite heavy to push the keys. (:D Oh yeah)
- What if I need more than one copy? (You used "carbon paper". - What is "carbon paper"? - Mm... )
- Cool. So this is a notebook and printer in one machine. ( :D - Right!)
Every time when my kids are allowed to bring toys to the afterschool care, they will take the typewriter - and play with their friends "office - like in the old days". And since then, there were menus and letters written and one or two books were already started with it :)
I can highly recommend to get a typewriter and show the kids something from the age "before computers". It was so much fun. And one day, if they are not interested anymore, I will hand it over to the next kids.
Christmas is coming: Do you have new ideas for me - of objects from the every day life that have disappeared?
PS: If the English sounds/reads strange - German is my mother tongue. I give my best.