I Don’t Want to Lose My Eye – 6 Year Old Panic

Lex (now six) has had a couple of rough days with a bug that’s going around Singapore - high temps, headache and all over grumpy bugger. He just doesn’t like being sick, which is fair enough, because neither do I. Although on the flip side, it’s kind of nice when he’s sick because he sits still – which is a little bit of bliss.

The day before his temperature kicked in, we were all in the pool and his brother Jax, accidentally kicked him in the eye. It was obviously painful, because Lex only ever cries when it really REALLY hurts – he’s certainly made of tough stuff that boy. In the midst of his tears, Lex immediately went into a panic that he was going to lose his eye. He’s only just lost his first two teeth, and so when something happens to his body, he believes it means that body part is going to fall out and grow back. He’s definitely not happy about the whole tooth loss stage, with his third tooth wobbly and ready to fall. Not even the tooth fairy can make him smile.

While Lex is grasping most of what we explain to him these days, we’re finding ourselves unable to effectively explain exactly what is really going on with his body in a way that makes sense to him. As such, he’s taken his reality to a whole different level of panic, and anything that hurts has the potential to fall out. Add this to a bout of sickness and we’re seeing him crumple into tears at the drop of a hat, needing lots of hugs, and his main concern continues to be that he’s going to lose his eye. We’re constantly reassuring him, and that settles him for a bit, but an hour or so later, he crumbles again.

Bless his little cotton socks. Being a kid, trying to make sense of the world, while your body is doing weird things as you grow, and add to that feeling lousy – it’s certainly not easy for the little ones.

But maybe it’s about being a six year old boy? I was having farewell drinks with my friend AK, and she was discussing some conversations she’s had with other Mum’s of six year old boys. Apparently the emotional intensity is consistent across this age group. I’ve never seen anything written about six year old boys specifically, but it makes sense when I look at Lex. Not only is he sick right now, but he’s no longer invincible in his own mind after a couple of accidents that have really hurt. Add to that bits of his body aching/changing as he grows, other bits falling out and growing back, he’s got testosterone doing weird things to his mind, and all the while, he’s moving from the age of emotion towards the age of logic… no wonder six year old boys are having an emotional time of it. Imagine how we’d feel facing all of that stuff?

Anyone else notice their six year old sons having a hard time of it?

Yours, without the bollocks

Andrea