Intangible

In our school we study math, phonics, literature, Shakespeare, poetry, penmanship, geography, art appreciation, music appreciation, nature study, science, handicrafts, and history -- standard elementary school subjects.

We are also learning to school our actions and conquer our wills. I likened this to a train track. Scooter has been a train fanatic for six years, and understands the principle that a track must be laid level and even so the train will run easily. Each good habit we adopt (train track) makes our life (train) run more easily. To this end, we study our scriptures each day and choose bad habits to conquer/good habits to adopt. I'm positive this track will be years in the laying.

I think the process of learning should be as tear-free as possible, and should build a child up. One way to do this is to ask him to do something that's just a little beyond what he's been able to do before.

Recently, Scooter found a Netflix movie I'd lost, complete with return envelope. I was profoundly grateful and joked: "Now if you could only ride your bike up to the post office and mail it for me!" In my mind I was picturing the mailbox on the corner of Broad and Walnut, just around the corner and one block north of my childhood home, on quiet streets.

Here, the post office is 1.25 miles east, on my busy city street, complete with one major intersection (six lanes of traffic) and two minor (four lanes).*

"I can do that for you, Mom!"

Ohmygoshnoyoucan'tyou'retoolittlewhatifyougethitbyacaryouwillbesquashedlikeabugandIwillneverrecover.

"You know what, Scooter? I think you can. Go ahead."

Helmet on, mail in his pocket, Kermit's traffic warnings in his ears, he set off. I spent a nervous 20 minutes cleaning out the car and cocking my ear to hear him return.

When he did, he burst through the door, ablaze with triumph. You could feel the self-confidence in his voice, see it in his carriage. It was a successful experiment. Next up, "I'm out of (eggs/bread/bananas). Can you ride to the store and buy some, please?"

*It might cross some mother's minds that the child would get lost. Of all the scary scenarios in my head, that one was missing. Scooter is possessed of an excellent sense of direction and amazing capacity to remember how to navigate around a city. He routinely tells me how to get to places I should know how to get to but kind of don't, like the zoo. These mental gifts are courtesy of his father and maternal grandfather, who made me read maps for him all the time without success.