Lessons From A Little Boy

Being the youngest of six must be a wonderful thing... People play with you, talk to you, carry you around, give you great tasting snacks, and everyone loves you! But it's neat to be on the other end of the spectrum; being the oldest of six, I get to watch the younger ones discover new and exciting things as they get older! I had never thought of this until I began to watch Sawyer learn and discover.

"Learning the proper use of a hammer"
I've learned that he watches, or listens to you, and then tries to re-create what you have just done. This tells me that I need to be careful of what I say and do, for I may be the older sister of a future leader. Am I teaching him good things?

"Using a seed pod as a gun"

As I watch my younger brothers get older, I see them beginning to become men and take dominion. Maybe it's through hunting and providing meat for our family. Maybe it's building an addition from scratch. Maybe it's clearing land filled with briars. Maybe it's feeding and taking care of rabbits, fish, cats, and dogs. They all begin to take responsibility for cetain things. Who am I to laugh at what they do? What am I encouraging them to be?

"Contemplation after the shot"
I'm learning that he will imitate anything he sees. What kinds of thoughts do we want to encourage? What kinds of books do we select for him to read? He is Gods' little boy and we want him to become Gods' child so we read books about Gods' love and care for us.

"We must always pick up that which we throw"
I'm learning that the best way to teach him is to include him in what I'm doing. He loves to help and will come running when he hears the word help! Picking up toys or straightening up the house can be a joint effort that is fun and rewarding!

"Being a helper"
I'm beginning to see that he too needs jobs that are "just his size". I need to encourage him to work. Maybe it's just picking up the toys, or maybe it can be putting trash in the trash can. Anything that will teach him responsibility and be fun at the same time.

"Hammie" is getting so big so fast. He'll only be small for a small remainder of time and we're going to have a blast with what's left! He's a big helper already with much more potential. He's a little boy through and through....... hammers, nails, and anything with four wheels are his delight!
For those of you who are wondering... No, his hair is not curly! He just really needs a hair cut!