My five year old son has qualities I wish I had...
Each day brings him challenges. Getting older, growing pains, going to school each day, making new friends, learning new things. The list goes on. As it does for all children. Thankfully, my five year old does it all with such kindness, acceptance and love. He wakes up each morning with smiles, "I love you's", and the desire to make his day that much better than yesterday. With some of his first words being "did you have a good sleep mom?" Not wondering what is for breakfast or why he has to go to school, again. Just simply caring about my feelings and ensuring I slept well. Even if I had a horrible sleep or a nightmare I always seem to answer "I had a great sleep Honey". Because for some reason, whatever it may have been that made my sleep terrible, his words make it feel much less important and I am suddenly feeling great. He has the ability to do that with a lot of things.
Each afternoon when he gets home from school around 3 o'clock the phone rings. We all know who it is. Daddy! He is calling on his drive home to say Hi. My five year old grabs the phone and answers it, immediately saying "Hi Dad, did you have a good day?" Then proceeding to ask him what he can see out of his truck window. Without fail. Just yesterday I watched him pace around the kitchen with his hand on his hip and phone to his ear using the words "oh that's great!", and "awesome dad". At the time I didn't know what the other end of the conversation was but after talking to my husband I found out he had been telling him about his day, with our son sounding very interested and genuinely happy about my husband's good day. Again, thinking of others first.
I had recently noticed that my son had been playing at the school with a boy in his class that who I believe has behavioral issues. To what degree I am unsure, but he does have a one on one worker with him in class. Now when they play together I assume my son has no regard to this boy being any different than himself. Yet, the way he makes an effort to include this boy in the things he and his other buddies are doing makes me think otherwise. His uncle, my brother, is autistic. My son knows this. My son can tell that he is a little difficult to understand at times. I am not sure if this has made him more accepting of the boy in his class or not. He just simply seems to have a bigger heart then I can wrap my head around sometimes.
I have used the words "who is this kid?" In the most positive way imaginable. More or less wondering how my husband and I got so lucky in having a child that understands what caring and compassion is. How can you truly teach someone who is five these things. With them understanding what you mean. He just gets it. He is lucky. We are proud.
Being a big brother he is now the protector. He has taken on this role just as I had hoped. Always making sure his brother is taken care of. Finding him lost toys, covering him with blankets when he is cold, giving him hugs and kisses when he gets hurt. I see their relationship getting better and better with each day. Yes sure, they have their differences but the intentions are always good. They also get past those differences within minutes. Another quality many wish they could have I am sure.
Being five he has the ability to ask for the world. He could easily play with his toys, sing his abc's and watch cartoons. On top of all that, he has decided to be an empathetic, caring and friendly little boy. Continually concerned about others well being. My biggest wish is that these traits do not fade. Life can take many turns and we as parents can only hope our children hold on to the good and overlook the bad. Learn from their mistakes and try hard at being better people everyday. You can be great but their is no limits to how great.
We have butt heads many times. The year we introduced our youngest son being our worst. I am happy to say that it is in the past and we've come to understand each other better. He still knows how to push my buttons but since turning five he has grown up tremendously and matured to the point where we can reason with him and have real conversations that we know he understands. He gets a lot of his amazing traits from his dad. I also know that his younger brother will pick up on this behavior one day as well. So I hope to be surrounded by gentlemen as they grow up. My goal with having boys is mainly to raise respectful, and fun loving men.
I learn more from my son then one could imagine. He teaches me how precious life is. He reminds me what is important and what isn't. He shows me how to love unconditionally. I recently read a blog about how a mother is their sons first love. I hope this is true because from the moment he was born he was and is my forever love.
