(Not) All Grown Up

Sometimes I forget how old(young) Kate really is. Even her school supervisor commented to me how confident and mature she is, and how she just made herself at home and made friends immediately. She is so mature for her age, I tend to expect her to act like an adult, which can be a bit hard on her, and I keep having to remind myself that she is only five years old. I hope I don't traumatise her by expecting so much of her; I will probably have to pay for years of her therapy as an adult, when she needs to learn that it IS ok to not be perfect!

One of the things she does which makes her seem so much older, is mother everyone. She looks after her little brother all the time - he was struggling a bit with getting on the school bus for a couple of weeks, but what made him get through it was knowing Kate was at the other end, waiting for him at school. They have a little system now: I put him on the bus and buckle him in, and when he gets to school he heads straight for Kate's lunch room, where she welcomes him and takes him to his classroom, helps him hang up his rucksack and waits til he settles in, before sneaking out when he's not looking (much like I used to do!). And now in the mornings, if I am a bit rushed preparing Kate's packed lunch, breakfast, etc., Kate will get herself dressed, Charlie dressed, and both their teeth brushed. Soon I will be able to sleep in and Kate will sort everything out herself!