Why Do-it-Yourself?
The backbone of the do-it-yourself ethic is the recognition that "average" moms are perfectly capable of developing their own solutions to problems that are usually thought of as needing "dollars" or "experts." Put into practice, this means you make up your own flashcards for your kids instead of buying them. It means believing that you are capable of teaching your child how to read instead of leaving it to the "expert" teachers.
Why would you want to do this? For me, it boils down to the feeling of competence and satisfaction in a job well done. It's very empowering to discover that you are capable of doing much more than you thought. It's liberating to find that you don't always have to rely on "experts" to get the job done. It certainly saves money when you don't have to pay for someone else to do the work!
Dependence vs. Independence
I believe that many of us develop a "dependency" mindset over the course of our lives. We come to believe that we are not capable of doing much and it's best to just let the "professionals" do it. After all, they have all the training, know-how, etc. If we don't have a degree in it, we think that we have no right to enter in. And so we are trained to think that "experts" know how to do things, but we do not.
We are seldom taught practical skills like how to sew a button on or mend something, how to follow a recipe from scratch, how to use basic tools to repair small things around the house, or even how to create our own entertainment. Not knowing how to do these kinds of very simple things can leave you feeling incompetent and helpless. That can be very discouraging.
That Can-do Attitude
So I believe in teaching people how to do things for themselves. I believe
in encouraging moms to trust in their own abilities. I want you to stop
thinking that your problems can only be solved by money or professionals.
Try something for yourself and see if you don't find that can-do attitude
welling up from deep within.