Six Years Old
“First Puberty” “I’m bored” as the second molars and the inner world come in
The EBIPS 6 Year Old developmental milestone information is filled with signs of a transformation, also called “First Puberty.” The “first puberty” got its name from how the 6 year old plays out themes such as: playing being a teenager, pretending to be drunk, getting married, being silly, teasing others, making money while playing restaurant and store.
Freya Jaffke calls the 6 year olds inquiry, “What shall I do?…”I am bored”, the crisis of will and imagination. We often describe this as the metamorphosis whereby the caterpillar radically transforms into the butterfly. There is a change is in body, consciousness and connection to the world.
The body increases in erratic gestures, the second molars emerge, the waistline, wrists and neck stretch and becomes more apparent.
The inner consciousness is awakening and during the time it takes to adjust there are less imaginative ideas, the six year old seems stuck and inquires, “What shall I do?…”I am bored.”
The connection to others falters as they want to be the boss, talk about who they hate, correct everyone and by 6.9 can be quite bossy.
Parents and their children can naturally feel pulled apart during this stage. When parents understand this transformation and respond with loving firmness, children come through more peacefully.
As the adults around the child we continue to not rush them out of their dreamy early childhood consciousness. One of the concerning findings of rushing early childhood is that as they get older they will vulnerable to seeking out those missed dream experiences through drugs.
Handwork
The idea of handwork is to awaken one’s creative powers while developing hand eye coordination, fine and gross motor skills, motor planning, patience, self-reliance, sense of care, appreciation of beauty, numeracy/mathematical thinking and appreciation of hard work. The brain research has discovered a connection between fine motor skills and brain development. Examples of handwork would include knitting in first grade, crocheting in second and third, purling with its backward space in third or fourth, embroidery in third and fourth, cross stitch fourth grade (with fractions, crossing the midline, strengthening reading skills), knitting in the round in fifth grade.
Rudolph Steiner said “As the muscles of the hand grow firm and strong in performing the work for which they are fitted, so the brain and other organs of the physical body of man are guided into the right lines of development if they receive the right impressions from their environment.” Further he indicated that adult qualities such as sound judgment, logical and balanced thinking, depends on whether as a child he was taught to use his hands and fingers in a right and practical way.
