Remember He’s Only 5

Last night S was getting his shower and when he was done B got mad at him because he used too much body wash. Realistically you should only use about a quarter size amount. When we first bought body was for I told him just to use a little bit and B told him no more than a quarter size in his hand. Well B bought two new body wash last week and over half of each bottle is already gone. He got upset and took the body wash away from S telling him he couldn’t use it until he is older.

B asked me why I wasn’t upset by it. I asked B if he showed him how much he was allowed to use. He said yes he told him a quarter size. No, I asked again did he actually show him the amount he was allowed to use. He said no, did you? I told him I didn’t and how can we expect him to know how to use it if we never teach him.

It’s like teaching P how to use a fork. We can’t expect her to know how to use one unless we physically show her how to get the food on the fork and into her mouth. Sure she can watch us do it, but watching and doing are two totally different things.

When B said he told him to only use a quarter size, I had to explain how I thought S interpreted that as. S would use a small amount on his left arm, another small amount on his right arm, then his left leg, right leg and I think you get the idea. He only used a quarter amount on each limb. I said for him to only use a quarter amount for his whole body you have to show him how much to put in the washcloth and then suds the washcloth up so the soap will last for your entire body.

We, as parents, forget that you still have to continue to teach them. We don’t even realize how much we actually teach our children each day. Some things take the extra time to show them. We forget. It’s just like reading, it comes so naturally to us now that we don’t realize how hard it was when we were learning.

I tell B all of this last night and don’t you know I did the exact same thing today with S. We were getting his school supplies ready for me to take to Kindergarten Parent Orientation tonight and his pencils had to be sharpened. It cost $2 more if we bought pre-sharpened pencils. S wanted to use the electric pencil sharpener so I dug it out and had to show him how to use it. He just learned how to use his little pencil sharpener where you have to hand turn the pencil. I told him how to put the pencil in the electric sharpener, and hold it. I then showed him. He just couldn’t get it. He kept trying to hold the pencils like he was going to write instead of holding it to sharpen. After doing a few pencils and me getting very frustrated I asked S, “Am I not explaining it well enough to you for you to understand or are you just not listening?” He said I heard what you said but I have never done this before.

Right there I stopped in my tracks and had to realize, you’re right he has never done this before. It’s just like riding a bike or learning to water ski, some get it right away and for others it is going to take a few more tries. Here I was telling B he had to be patient and break it down in easy steps for S so he understood exactly what he was saying, and I was doing the same thing.

That’s when I stood there and thought he is only five and half. If he was eight and still couldn’t comprehend how to sharpen a pencil I would be worried. He will learn and I am ever so grateful he is starting school and will learn from teachers who realize they do not know this stuff and will take the time to teach them the right way. Will I be there to help him? Of course, but it takes a village to raise a child.

As I sit here and finish typing this, S started sharpening more pencils on his own and totally got it. Guess I did know what I was doing after all, he just needed a few more tries.