LP is eight years old, he has two years until he 'officially' enters the tween stage which begins at 10. In many ways he is still my little boy; he likes to have cuddles, he likes to play games, and sometimes he'll even get out his toy castles and boats and play with them. At the same time though he is starting to show a few signs of tweendom. He's not quite a tween, but he's definitely getting there.
Activity
LP is an active boy, he loves nothing more than playing football with his friends after school. He attends two classes after school where he plays football and multi-sports and has even asked if there are any others he can do. He doesn't like to be in one place for long and if he has to sit for long periods he soon gets bored and fidgets.
On the other hand he can sit for a while if he is occupied. He has recently taken an interest in an electrical set BP was given for Christmas a few years ago. He likes the idea that he can do things on his own and discuss it with his dad. And he loves learning.
LP climbing at a park in Stoke-on-Trent, he loves this place.
In contrast BP, who is 12, hates activity. He loves sitting in front of his TV watching Doctor Who or some movie, and if I let him he would sit there for hours on end.
Learning
LP LOVES to learn. At the moment he's like a sponge and soaks up all the information he can get his hands on. The other day he happened to ask me about the gear stick in the car, which led to me explaining about gears and how the car works. Which then led to more questions about breaks and the engine and even the hand break. Since our conversation he has said he wants to see a working engine - we showed him the Audi engine but because it's covered you can't really see much so we need to find a way to show him a real, working engine.
- Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.
Og Mandino
We also have a subscription to a science magazine that he loves reading. His last issue taught him about what causes hay fever and then, at school, they learned about flowers and why some people get hay fever. He was so happy when he was able to answer questions that no one else could.
Add to those that LP is amazing at maths. He obviously gets this from his dad (certainly not me!), who is a maths whizz too. LP is coming on well in maths at school and he recently passed a test in school that only Year 6's have passed, LP is in Year 3.
I am hopeful that even as he grows into the tween/teen stages his love for learning continues.
Socialising
LP has lots of friends, he's a popular boy in school. It is partly to do with being good at maths, his teacher often comments that the other children always want LP on their team when they're doing maths quizzes in school. But it's not just that, he manages to get involved in all kinds of activities with his friends, be it playing football before school or learning about science in school.
He loves acting around, like this, with a scarf around his head. He's pretending to be a ninja, while watching the TV, obvs.
As friends become more important the older he gets I'll be taking more notice of his friends' influence on him, although to be honest I think it'll be the other way around.
Sulking
Master Sulker. That is LP. He has mastered his skills of sulking over the last year or so. His sulks can last hours and once he's in that mood there aren't many things that can bring him out of it. This is the main reason I'm noticing the changes in him. He didn't used to sulk, it would just be a sad face for a few minutes then he'd be back to smiling. These days he can be happy one minute and then sulky or crying the next. I know he is still only 8 but I believe these are the first signs of tweendom, and I am not looking forward to any more of them!
Sensitivity
This is really part of the section above but I thought I'd mention it. As LP has got older he's become more sensitive to things, like when his brother calls him names. He takes it to heart and can often end up in tears, sometimes he'll even say that he "hates" BP, or call him the "worst brother EVER!". While it's funny to hear I understand that he is sensitive to the name calling and I have had to mention it to BP.
- Healthy boys grow into healthy men.
Clayton Lessor MA, LPC
I know the next few years are going to be tough, with BP turning 13 in August and LP fast becoming a tween ahead of time, but I am doing all the reading I can and hope I'm prepared. I am their mum, I'll be here no matter what, and I'm not afraid to be Evil Mum either!
Do you have a tween/teen in training?