I think I just need reassurance that this is normal. He's my oldest, so some of these 'firsts' are a little startling.
Yesterday, he wanted some alone time. He sat in our school room for about an hour, drawing and staring into space....in his 'thinking spot'. Then he approached me and asked if he could tell me something that he wanted kept secret from his younger brother.
T: well, I just need to tell you that I fell in love, you see.
Me: thanks for telling me. Who do you love?
T: I'll give you a hint. She wears a blue shirt.
Me: is it me?! (I was wearing a blue shirt)
T: Mamma, no! She's the big girl in the black house.
(one of our homeschool coop families)
Me: do you mean M or L (they have two girls)?
T: is M the biggest girl? I love M.
Me: that's very sweet.
T: I should make her a St. Valentine's Day card. Can I still do that, even though it was yesterday?
Me: yes, you certainly can.
Later on, he had made the card, and spent a lot of the afternoon carrying it around and hugging it, giving it little kisses and wearing a smile I don't think I've ever seen before....sort of a small, private, inward smile.
Then he says:
T: Mamma, when I am a grown up man, I will have M for my wife.
Me: That sounds nice.
T: Well, she will decide about that, but I think this card will convince her. She will help me run my school. We will work together.
Pause, then
T: I guess I will have to be beautiful to marry her.
Me: why do you think that?
T: ummm. I don't know.
Me: I think it's more important that you are a nice person and treat other people well. That will help other people to like you too.
T: oh yeah, I forgot about that.
That's about it. Normal, right? I actually thought he was going to tell me that he was in love with his friend Lucas, which I would have found not at all disconcerting....they are great buddies and I, while totally open to my kids loving whomever they love as adults, would have thought it in the non-romantic category of love (as in he loves me, loves his brothers, loves the cats, loves green, loves strawberries). I guess romance is blooming at 6?! I just haven't thought about DS in this light before. It's a bit disconcerting! I haven't the mental leap from little boy to bigger boy. Like, holy Moses, he's going to be someone's husband some day! Should I be keeping an eye out for other things popping up, too? What social stuff was going on for your 6 year old son?
Just to add on, we are mostly media-free. We do watch an occasional movie or PBS show, but never any commercial TV. We listen to classical and folk music from around the world (think Putamayo Kids) but almost no pop music. That may affect his social development (well, I certainly hope it does!).
Yesterday, he wanted some alone time. He sat in our school room for about an hour, drawing and staring into space....in his 'thinking spot'. Then he approached me and asked if he could tell me something that he wanted kept secret from his younger brother.
T: well, I just need to tell you that I fell in love, you see.
Me: thanks for telling me. Who do you love?
T: I'll give you a hint. She wears a blue shirt.
Me: is it me?! (I was wearing a blue shirt)
T: Mamma, no! She's the big girl in the black house.
(one of our homeschool coop families)
Me: do you mean M or L (they have two girls)?
T: is M the biggest girl? I love M.
Me: that's very sweet.
T: I should make her a St. Valentine's Day card. Can I still do that, even though it was yesterday?
Me: yes, you certainly can.
Later on, he had made the card, and spent a lot of the afternoon carrying it around and hugging it, giving it little kisses and wearing a smile I don't think I've ever seen before....sort of a small, private, inward smile.
Then he says:
T: Mamma, when I am a grown up man, I will have M for my wife.
Me: That sounds nice.
T: Well, she will decide about that, but I think this card will convince her. She will help me run my school. We will work together.
Pause, then
T: I guess I will have to be beautiful to marry her.
Me: why do you think that?
T: ummm. I don't know.
Me: I think it's more important that you are a nice person and treat other people well. That will help other people to like you too.
T: oh yeah, I forgot about that.
That's about it. Normal, right? I actually thought he was going to tell me that he was in love with his friend Lucas, which I would have found not at all disconcerting....they are great buddies and I, while totally open to my kids loving whomever they love as adults, would have thought it in the non-romantic category of love (as in he loves me, loves his brothers, loves the cats, loves green, loves strawberries). I guess romance is blooming at 6?! I just haven't thought about DS in this light before. It's a bit disconcerting! I haven't the mental leap from little boy to bigger boy. Like, holy Moses, he's going to be someone's husband some day! Should I be keeping an eye out for other things popping up, too? What social stuff was going on for your 6 year old son?
Just to add on, we are mostly media-free. We do watch an occasional movie or PBS show, but never any commercial TV. We listen to classical and folk music from around the world (think Putamayo Kids) but almost no pop music. That may affect his social development (well, I certainly hope it does!).
