GabyFive Years of Friendship: The Joys and Challenges
Sometimes it’s so easy, and other times it’s incredibly hard to have a five-year-old friend. At this age, kids hit another developmental crisis that’s tough for them to navigate, and even tougher for those around them.
My little Sasha can drive me absolutely crazy at times. We’ve got this new phase: she wants to be a boy! She puts on the most boyish dark clothes (of course, we’re only talking about pants and shorts—skirts and dresses are out of the question!), screams to get her hair cut like a boy’s (which nearly brings me to tears!), and as for her behavior, let’s just say it’s a whole other story. You can talk to her, explain things, but she stands her ground like a statue or just does whatever she feels like. I try to tell her how much I wanted a girl, what my dreams were for her, and she listens, but then she says, “Why did you want a girl? I want to be a boy!” What can you even say to that? 😀
Another quirk is her slamming doors and locking herself in her room when things don’t go her way. And she is so incredibly proud and stubborn! It’s nearly impossible to reach an agreement. The only way to engage her is to spark her genuine interest—when something truly captivates her, then you can influence her in some way. Oh, the trials of personality development… Sometimes it feels like she’s 13 instead of 5! What’s next?!
One thing is clear—you’re in this for the long haul. You can’t take a break or hit pause to think things over; it’s a constant effort to build our relationship. The only comfort is that life has its ups and downs: it’s never all good or all bad. You just have to take a deep breath and ride it out.
