Frontier Dreams: The seven year change

Monday, March 26, 2012

The seven year change

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There are some changes going on around here. K is now smack dab in the middle of the 7 year change. She has been experiencing it in bits and pieces since she was about 5 1/2 but now she is fully immersed. Having the privilege to watch her go through such a big change is really breathtaking. She is such a thoughtful, wise and empathetic little person, she has really stepped up with helping me around the house, and takes such pleasure in taking care of her younger siblings. She is really coming into her own now. Of course every phase of life has it's bumps in the road and I am thankful for the never ending wisdom of her teachers and this book minus the parenting advice in it,(this one,too!) they recommended to me, as well. It's funny to think back when I first discovered Waldorf I thought that the 7 year change didn't happen until the child lost their milk (baby) teeth. I've been learning a lot since then. K is a lot like me in many ways, and I think the timing of her losing her milk teeth will be similar to mine, too. I lost mine pretty late compared to others and had quite a few of them pulled.

The changes of the season find us looking for any excuse to be outside. This weekend was beautiful with only a half of a day of rain. We took the opportunity to explore areas we haven't seen before.

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I have been working on some things in the girls' room. Big changes there, for sure. For me, changes and messes go hand in hand so right now it's just a bit chaotic in there.

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Baby L is teething so needless to say the poor guy is clingy right now. As I was trying to work on the girls' room today nothing I did seemed to make him happy. I found myself talking to him saying "What do you need from me little Bubba?". Then K came in the room and without saying a word she picked Baby L up and carried him into the kitchen. I quietly followed her curious as to what she was doing. She saw me peeking in on her and she said "He seemed like he was hungry so I thought I would share some food with him." Let me tell you, he was one happy little guy with her. He adores her so much. They have quite a tight bond. She understands him as much as I do, sometimes (like today) perhaps even more than I do! Thank God, for her patience and clarity, I hope she hangs on to them as she grows older.

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Kristy · 679 weeks ago

awww that's so sweet! It's such a great thing to watch that ... 'connection', isn't it.

xo

1 reply · active 678 weeks ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 678 weeks ago

It really is. I wish I could remember what it felt like from my own experience going through it.

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angie · 679 weeks ago

Oh these changes are so profound aren't they. I remember the 9-year change so well with my son...sometimes at 10 I see he is still struggling with it a bit.

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lifealaskanstyle 47p · 679 weeks ago

Such beautiful photographs! I have been changing things in my own home as well and doing some spring cleaning, it's funny how there has to be complete chaos and mess before order can be completely achieved :)

1 reply · active 678 weeks ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 678 weeks ago

Thank you. I am so glad to hear I am not alone in the chaos before order scenario :)

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mandi · 679 weeks ago

Thank you so much for those book recs. My daughter is newly 8 and has transformed so much. Just this year she has started playing with dolls. She wants to care for and help in anyway she can. My son will soon be 6 and I'd love to read those titles.

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dogretro · 679 weeks ago

What a wonderful post! I do hope you continue to share with us more and more about the changes in your oldest's growth, as you see appropriate. I have read a lot about the first seven years, but know precious little about the next stage. We are not close to it yet, but who doesn't love to learn?

Although we no longer have our third baby (she was our foster daughter), I often found that the best first strategy was to hand her a piece of food. I don't know if it's a third-kid thing, or a baby-new-to-food thing, but 8 times out of 10, her grumps would be appeased with a cracker or such. Not milk, food.

1 reply · active 678 weeks ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 678 weeks ago

Thank you! I do hope to keep sharing :)
The food thing must be a third baby syndrome

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julie · 679 weeks ago

My youngest daughter is sometimes more intune with what my youngest son needs/wants than I do. Embarrassing, but true!

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beccathorn7 58p · 679 weeks ago

Aw, what a sweet big sis she is!

Becca

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Gail · 679 weeks ago

Thanks for another lovely post. My Keira is also 6 and will be starting in Class 1(1st grade) in September, so it's lovely to read about these things. I will look into the books. We have lots of challenges with my girl, so anything that helps us understand her a bit more is a bonus. Blessings x

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Dark Blue Dragon · 679 weeks ago

We are closing in on the 6/7 year change here as my oldest closes in on turning 6 in June. Thank you for the books as well as the support of knowing how others are going about it. I already see it in him and in a way it is sad to see that realization within himself that he is his own person and that he is growing, changing. I welcome it and mourn it all the same. Hope that makes sense.

You are lucky to have such a caring helper.

1 reply · active 678 weeks ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 678 weeks ago

It made perfect sense! I feel the same way. It's bittersweet.

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Nicole Kleemann · 679 weeks ago

I loved this post. I wasn't really familiar with the 7 year change (I had come a across it reading a few times) so thank you for writing about it. I love your book recommendations. I am adding them to my list :) My daughter, my eldest, is 4 so we have a few years but I have been noticing a lot of changes in her recently. I also have a baby due in a few weeks, and she already has a younger brother, so this all might be playing into it. I love seeing her helping heart readily bloom- without my provocation. I had also almost forgotten teething! Ah we just finsihed the major teething with my son who is 2 now and now we get to begin again with the new babe soon :) Life sure is rich!

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heirloomseasons 43p · 679 weeks ago

Such a sweet growing girl! It seems like she is getting a new look in her eyes, seeing the world in a different thoughtful way. I have just been staring and staring at Chessa lately, she is just coming out of this change I think, she melts my heart and amazes me with her growth.
I still had 7 of my milk when I was 12 years old and the dentist pulled them all out at once. It was awful! My wisdom teeth didn't come in until I was in my twenties and I only had them taken out after Chessa was born. With each pregnancy they grew so much, caused lots of pain, it was like I was teething!
And did you know I was going to comment on the quilt? Beautiful!!!
XOXO

1 reply · active 678 weeks ago

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FrontierDreams 111p · 678 weeks ago

My wisdom teeth were pulled in my twenties, too. Such fun! I knew you'd love the quilt. It was a thrift store find <3

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FrontierDreams 111p · 678 weeks ago

I wanted to mention quick that the book 'Your six year old' is really a great resource, it helps me to prepare for what is coming next BUT I do not follow the parenting advice given in it. It's pretty outdated. HTH!

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Jill P · 677 weeks ago

I am in love with the sun bonnets your girls are wearing! So darling... Do you have a link to a pattern?

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Thank you for joining me here. My name is Nicole Spring AKA wife, Waldorf homeschooling Mama to four sweet little ones, homemaker of the radical kind, knitter, cook, seamstress, student of life as well as my children, crafter, girl of all trades... and always with a camera in hand to document our days so we may look back at these glorious yet exhausting times.

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