Chapter 26 in Volume 3 took us to Russia. Catherine the Great made a big impression on my daughter. Of course, the paper dolls were a hit. She decorated every single one and made sure she could stick and remove them with Velcro dots.
Cutting out the paper dolls representing Catherine the Great
My son was disgusted with Peter Ulrich’s behavior. It’s good for them to see good monarchs and bad monarchs. We talk about legacy sometimes. What do we want people to think of when they remember us, after we are gone?
It may sound like a terrible subject for children, but I think it is important for them to remember that, one day, they will be gone. However, their actions will live on in the memory of others. How do we want to be remembered?
Tiny Velcro dots were needed for the crowns
My daughter said, “I am glad Catherine made Russia into a great nation.” We discussed several details about her reign. Even though she still believed God gave her the right to be queen, Catherine improved the lives of all Russians when she was in power.
It is always good for little girls to have strong female role models, especially when schools for women are created and women are empowered through education.
Catherine the Great Paper Dolls
Too bad Catherine got married to a horrible guy. Even more heart-wrenching is what happened to her children, how they both got taken away from her by her mother-in-law, who raised them herself. I cannot imagine anything worse than that.
After reading up on her on my own, I was glad Susan Wise Bauer left out all the children Catherine the Great issued with other men. Those details can wait for when the kids are older and can handle such information.
