Stages

Today, I was noticing the stages of my children. I sometimes get concerned about balancing five children, parenting them according to the stage they are in and the person they are. It is easy to blow it and just say, "all of you to bed" when it is just one or two being annoying. It is easy to be so busy that you don't stop and really look at your child and notice the little things about them. But the past few weeks, I have been noticing.

Hockey Player, well he isn't a child anymore, he isn't a guy/man yet, so he has earned the name "Man Child" and/or "Mowgli". He carries himself taller. He is compassionate and yet firm with his little brothers. He is independent. He will start fixing dinner if he is starving and doesn't want to wait for me. (Not gonna catch me arguing with that.) He offers to mow the yard.

Fun Mom is taking on more leadership/teaching roles this summer. This week she told me working with pre-teens is a big eye-opener. You don't have to do for them like the preschoolers. You just tell them what to do. She told me it was hard getting used to taking a step back and letting them do. Which led into the conversation about parenting and pondering these new observations and applying them to her parents and maybe extending us some grace when we fail to step back when we should with her.

Little Princess is long and leggy. Actually, when the 3 olders grouped themselves around Grandpa and hugged them today, I was astounded by how tall these 3 are! How much they have grown. Little Princess is not quite a pre-teen or tween yet. There is still a lot of little girl still in her. Yet, I know from experience, there isn't much time left of these little girl years. She wants to learn the needle arts this summer. She is taking the task on with much enthusiasm.

Daddy's Buddy has entered the season of right and wrong and justice. He is problem solving. This next year he is going to take on the world. He will start reading and his independent nature will grow another 6 inches with the new skill. Already, independent, intelligent and opinionated he is uninterested in the world of little boyhood. He looks up to aspires to be like big brother the Man Child.

Flutter Nutter still the youngest, the baby. He quite likes the role. He has a Peter Pan complex and doesn't want to grow up. Yet, he doesn't want to be told he isn't old enough. His legs are starting to catch up with his body. He is starting to share his blankets and walk away from them willingly. But still my snuggler. He has learned to do his own seatbelt, a woohoo milestone. Getting in the car is that much easier! Yet, I can see we will need to be changing his nickname soon. He is growing up and away from "Flutter Nutter"... It will be interesting to watch his character develop.