When a backwards "e" is a major life crisis
When I think about my early childhood, bits and pieces of events float in and out of my memory.
Surely they aren't accurate, and a lot of it has to do with the emotions involved, what I learned, and the 'story' around what I think happened.
Lately, my five year old has been enthusiastically learning her letters and words and spelling.
I've been thoroughly impressed with how eager she is in reading and writing all by herself.
She's sounding out everything.
It's definitely not how I remember it when I was five.
Then again, I don't even remember how it was when I first learned how to read and write.
Anyway, she loves writing notes to everyone.
To me, to her father, her siblings, and also her friends.
The other day I told her that she was invited to one of her best friend's birthday party.
Ever since I told her, she's been obsessed with writing her a birthday card.
It's very sweet.
So this afternoon we went to the shop and picked out a card.
As soon as we got home, she immediately sat down and started to write, "Deer Susie."
(Name has been changed to protect anyone involved.)
Then the crisis hit.
As I helped her write her letters, just sounding them out with her, she asked me while motioning in the air with her finger, "Is the "e" like this way? Or this way?"
She's whisping her finger in the air trying to show me how to draw an "e" as if the paper was floating in front of her.
Then, in the card, she drew her lower-case 'e' for 'Susie'.
"There! Look mummy! Like this?"
Uh oh. It's fudking backwards.
Here it comes.
My little perfectionist Virgo female five-year-old starts having a conniption.
Like it's the end of the world.
Like, there's no more opportunity to write another "e".
Ever.
I'm trying really really hard not to laugh.
It's a frickin' "E" for crying out loud (literally!).
What the hell is wrong with her?
Oh, I know.
It's 6:00pm and she's exhausted.
And she's five.
So I hug her and hold her and tell her that practice is what she needs and that she has to learn from her mistakes.
Nope. Uh uh.
How the hell is a five-year-old perfectionist going to understand THAT?
She wasn't having it.
So I just held her. Caressing her face and her hair. Sitting as calmly and lovingly as possible.
The girl was totally done. Caput. Spent.
Long days at school will do that to an active girl!
Then after her wailing turned into quiet whimpers, I asked her, "Do you want an adjustment?"
Nod nod.
"Ok, let's get adjusted. Turn your power ON."
And she laid down on the adjusting table and I adjusted her.
Then, once the adjustment was finished, she hopped up, high-fived me, and had a sudden burst of energy!
It was like a switch turned on.
Oh boy.
I know the adjustment was good for her, but as her mom who wanted some P&Q, the effect was opposite of what I had hoped.
I really wanted her to get conked out.
Nope. She just had a new zest for life.
Everything was peachy, and the whole backwards "e" problem - totally forgotten.
Life was AWESOME again.
And there we have it.
Life of a 5-year-old.
One minute life sucks.
The next (after an adjustment), life is superb!
Whoo Hoo!
See you at YOUR next adjustment!
— Dr MaryAnne.