if i provide good materials for my daughter's projects, i am teaching her that her work has value. i am also teaching her that the materials she uses have intrinsic value and should be respected.
she's 7 and has been watching me sew her whole life. i just bought her a janome 372 machine on kijiji (canadian craig's list) for $100. it's pretty much the same machine that has served me loyally for almost 20 years. she's sewing on paper right now, figuring out how the pedal works.
she'll learn step by step how to take care of the machine and to sew, just like i did. and hopefully she will grow to love it.
the children's machines all look like crap to me. there's no reason a child can't use a regular machine, and learn to care for and respect it. for kids without a mom, a good machine bought by a loving neighbour might be the only machine they get for a good long time. for an extra $40, if you can afford it, is a huge difference in quality.
aileen