7
Give me a boy to the age of seven and I will give you the man.
Jacob turned seven yesterday. It is a very symbolic age in many ways. Seven is traditionally the age of reason. Piaget theorized that the onset of concrete operations begins around age seven. And of course, the statement above that is attributed to St. Ignatius Loyala. Despite my recent worries about Jake, I am feeling confident about the man he will become. Seven is a nice number for a list - there are seven corporal works of mercy, seven spiritual works of mercy, etc. In honor of my joy of a boy:
7 Reasons to Celebrate
- Every person is a potential friend. Drop Jake into any situation for any length of time, and he will come out with new friends. He has even made friends running around the bases at a baseball game. He remembers names and faces and genuinely likes every person that he meets. According to Jake, the world consists of good friends, new friends, and people he hasn't met yet.
- Jacob has a strong sense of justice. If given a treat, he will make sure that everyone else has a treat too. He will also confess if another child is being blamed for a shared crime.
- He can laugh at himself. He knows when he crosses the line into the ridiculous and he can laugh if off - usually right away.
- He's not afraid to ask questions. He's learning about tact (thank goodness), but he won't rest until he finds the answers to his questions.
- He really thinks. Of course, he's seven so his critical thinking skills are hardly honed. But he does think about answers and test theories against his own knowledge and experience.
- He loves to teach. He delights in teaching his younger sister and friends just about anything. He received a couple of lacrosse sticks for his birthday. We took them to the park to play with a friend. Jake patiently showed his less graceful friend over and over again how to throw the ball.
- He believes that he can do anything, given enough time. He rarely says "I can't do it." He says, "I can't do it yet."
2 comments:
"He will also confess if another child is being blamed for a shared crime." And he shares treats! And you say he is SEVEN? Christy, this is HUGE! I still can't get the kids to cough up who stole my tweezers and who keeps using my special shampoo.
And having read the rest of your comments, I have to say that whatever your worries and reservations, your Jacob is doing fine.
He is, isn't he? With Jake it's all or nothing. We're in a sweet spot right now and I'm lapping it up like gravy. :)
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