Dear Gwen,
Today you are seventy-five months old.
The age of six is pretty different. You have always been an
independent child, but that is ramping up even more now. A couple of weeks ago,
we went to one of our favourite summer events: a free outdoor movie, shown on a
giant inflatable screen, at a local park. It just so happened that you ran into
a familiar face – an older girl who goes to your school and had been at the
same birthday party as you just a week earlier. You were fast friends and
watched the whole movie together on her blanket (and sometimes cuddled up
together in your new sleeping bag). This was a real switch as usually you spend
the whole time sitting on my lap.
On the same evening, you and I were walking together through
the park and you asked my permission to run ahead. I agreed that you could,
then watched you run towards our destination. When you reached a park roadway,
you stopped, looked both ways, and then crossed safely. I was SO impressed! We
talk about road safety all the time, but there’s no better way to know that
you’re actually taking it in, than watching you demonstrate it without any
prompting. Way to go, six-year-old!
 |
| On Preston's Batman birthday card, you wrote: "Have the Battiest birthday make sure the Joker doesn't get you birthday boy. Love, Gwen." |
You have started summer camp and are enjoying it a lot. You
went to the same camp last year and had a great time, but I think this year you
are even more excited about it. You even told me that you look forward to going
every day! Despite your excitement, you are invariably shy and clingy at the
morning drop-off, holding tight to my arm and very hesitant to join the other
kids in their activities (even when they are doing stuff you LOVE, like Rainbow
Loom). I saw the same pattern when you were going to preschool: when we arrived
in the morning, the other kids would be involved in some kind of craft activity
together, but you never wanted to join them right away, preferring to sit at
your own table and do your own thing for a little while. Then, when you were
ready, you would join the group. One of the leaders is absolutely great at
helping you feel at ease during this time. He always has some task or another
to do – bringing out more board games, setting up an activity, choosing which
toys to use that day – and he always invites you to help, which you are happy
to do. Dad pointed out that he was the same way as a kid: he was always more
eager to spend time with adults than with other children.
Every day you come home from camp with great stories of what
you have done that day. You always have so much fun, and no wonder: the camp
schedule is jam-packed with enjoyable, and sometimes educational, activities.
This week alone you’ve gone ice skating and bowling, had a science day and a
summer sports games day, and enjoyed a pancake party! No wonder Dad wishes he
could go to summer camp, too!
Another sign of your independence is the shrinking of the bedtime
routine. As your interest in reading has grown, you have started to request
that you be allowed to read for a while after I tuck you in and say goodnight
(in addition to the story I read you beforehand). Because you are excited about
getting to read, and because my tucking-in and prayer-saying and
lullaby-singing is no longer the last thing you do before sleep, you are way
less interested in drawing out that part of the routine. Many nights, all you
want is a quick hug and kiss and then for me to get the hell out of there so
you can do some reading. Sometimes this is a relief for me as I have lots to
get done, but I’m also not going to let go of our nighttime snuggles without a
fight! I can see the time coming – it’s distant, but it’s coming – when I will
just have to say, “Time for bed, honey, goodnight,” and you trot off to take
care of all your nighttime routines yourself with no assistance from me. So I
better get those cuddles while I can.
Earlier this month you took swimming lessons. Sea Otter is
the first parent-free level, and the one that most kids have to take multiple
times before they pass – this was your second time at the class. Back in March,
when summer registration began, I signed you up for the
daily-lessons-for-two-weeks format, rather than the twice-a-week-for-six-weeks
format, because I didn’t know what our vacation plans might be and didn’t want
them to interfere with lessons. This turned out to be a BRILLIANT plan, and I
would never go back to the other lesson format. The consistency of going
swimming every single weekday worked so well for you. You enjoyed the sure
knowledge that every day was a swimming day, and you were able to retain the
learning so much better. To nobody’s surprise, you passed with flying colours
and will be moving on to Salamander next time around. One thing I noticed with
your lessons, though, is that you were consistently far more interested in
swimming around and doing your thing than you were in listening to your
teacher. Your swimming ability is incredible, but focusing and listening to
safety rules is important too.
This month we discovered that you can quote entire chunks of
dialogue from The Lego Movie. I have decided that I very much prefer watching
your renditions than watching the actual movie. It is pretty hilarious!
One thing we have struggled with lately is that you are
starting to get kind of spoiled, with all these great adventures going on. I’ve
noticed this with you before, and I’m sure lots of people could point out that
it’s a widespread phenomenon with “kids these days”: a real attitude of
entitlement. Where it bugs me the most is when we go out and have a super fun,
Gwen-centric day together and everyone’s having a great time and then suddenly
you decide that you want ICE CREAM on top of everything and if you don’t get
it, you are devastated and furious and inconsolable and hell-bent on destroying
everyone’s good mood. Instead of being grateful for all the stuff that went
RIGHT, you are enraged about the one or two things that didn’t go your way. In
an effort to curb this habit, we are really encouraging you to be more
grateful, both inwardly and outwardly: insisting that you say thank you at
EVERY opportunity, and also reflecting before bed on at least five things you
are grateful for that day. You often list things that are really thoughtful and
lovely, such as “parents who love me,” so hopefully you will start to make
gratitude a habit and lose the entitlement attitude.
Well, it’s been a great month as always, Gwen. We love you
so much and are so proud of you. Till next time!
Love,
Mama
