No, Wait! Don’t!

My son came home from school today to find me watching YouTube videos from my favorite chemistry channel.  I thought he might like some of them, even though they were very technical in parts, he could understand a lot of it and the author demonstrated visually every step of the process he was going through.

We watched a few, ending on one in which he made a ferrofluid from scratch (https://youtu.be/6L8yUY-doNc).   After the video I asked him if he wanted to do some experimentation with iron filings and magnets and that while it wasn't a liquid magnetic solution, iron filings were pretty interesting to play with.

He was interested so we went to the craft room where I got out my bottle of iron filings, a closeable, flat rectangular plastic container and a collection of strong earth magnets.  

We poured in some filings, closed the container and then proceeded to have fun battling back and forth with the magnets to see who could collect more on their side of the container.  The iron filings were leaving a powder residue on the container making it hard to see,   I was going to see if we had gotten all the dust particulates stuck on the plastic and told him to hold while I did a round of cleaning.

I opened the container, poured the iron filings into a glass dish and was wiping off the interior of the container when I saw him coming at the dish with the very strong neodymium ring magnets.   I yelled, "Wait! Don't!" only a second too late.  

He didn't understand why I was upset.   I tried to explain that it wasn't his fault that had I realized in advance, I would have told him not to directly connect the magnets with the iron filings.   I intrinsically knew this from experience, hence the closed container.   But it was too late.

My son, not understanding how magnetism works, put the rings in the sink under the faucet.   The iron filings didn't budge.  He tried soap.   They wouldn't release.   He used a paper towel and met with very little progress.   Eventually, we got it mostly off, although I think the rings will forevermore be a bit gritty.

He was upset about it, saying he was an idiot and he wanted to hide in his room.  I told him it wasn't his fault, that we learned something from it.  I'm going to reiterate again later tonight and talk about the fun we had.   I hate for the last part of the experiment to be a negative memory of the whole experience.  

I would gladly watch science videos with my son any day.  He loves science.   It was a nice way to spend the afternoon after he got from school, including the learning experience with the iron filings.

The Big Boy Update:  My son misses his sister.   He told us just before dinner tonight.   I wasn't sure if he would miss her.   It's only been a day and he's already wishing she were here.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter sent me a text on Mimi's computer today saying hello and to tell Matisse she missed her.   I recorded a video of the dog, describing what she was doing and sent it back.   My mother called later, saying my daughter wanted to talk to the dog.   She wanted to talk to me too, but after she'd talked with the dog.