How a Six-Year-Old Became My Life Coach
A Facebook memory of my six-year-old son Owen popped up last week. It was a short video of a train ride he and I took from St. Louis to Lincoln, Illinois. Owen was a month shy of his third birthday, so, I’m sure you can image how engrossed he was in everything about this trip. From the giant windows in the train cars, to a new view of towns big and small, to seeing the wheels turn “round and round” as the train pulled out of the station in Lincoln … capturing his reaction to it all was to capture Owen at that age.
Owen turns seven in March. He’s logical and analytical. I’m sure he’ll lean on scientific reasoning as he grows and learns. His compassion for animals is undeniable. He LOVES sports. Football is his current favorite, but backyard soccer and baseball are common requests. Ask for his favorite class, and he’ll tell you it’s PE or recess. But he’s a strong all-around student, naturally inclined in math and mildly interested in reading. He wants to play professional soccer on TV and be a scientist when he grows up.
Until then, he’s pursuing a childhood career as my life coach.
Owen after his first ISL season at Vetta.
Over the last couple of years, I’ve discovered more local breweries in St. Louis (Thanks, Louligans!). In an effort to support local businesses during the pandemic and especially those businesses that support the Louligans, I was purchasing beverages from my favorite local breweries and enjoying one with dinner occasionally. Owen’s budding career as life coach started one night at the dinner table.
He and his sister Wilhemina will often ask if a particular food is healthy. One night, Owen asked if beer was healthy. *sigh* I mean, everything in moderation, right? *sigh* No, buddy, beer is not exactly healthy. “You shouldn’t drink it then.” *sigh* We talked about moderation, and one at dinner a couple of times a week is OK for adults. But, yes, beer is not exactly healthy. *sigh* This conversation will be different in 14 years.
In the car, I have a bad habit of putting on my seatbelt just after I start driving. Owen clearly noticed that I wait to drive until he and Wilhemina are buckled. He’ll often say, “Owie click. Mina click.” to announce they had buckled. Last summer, when I started driving without him saying, “Daddy click.” … well, I buckled up right away because, “you should always buckle up before driving.” He’s not wrong.
The day after I lost my job in September, the first thing Owen said when he got home from school was, “did you find a job?” We talked about this process taking a little more time than that. Later that night, I was on my phone. Owen asked, “Are you looking for jobs?” To be sure he wasn’t worried about the future, we reiterated a conversation from the night before in which we assured him and his sister they didn’t need to worry but that we would need to cut back on some things like Netflix. His concern lied in Netflix, understanding that if I had a job, we would get Netflix back.
Looking back, I think too he was observing and investigating how I reacted to the situation. He had learned recently that you have to look for a job, apply for the job, and eventually interview for the job before accepting the job. He understood the logical first step was to look for a job.
His line of questions over the last year or so reminds me he is always watching, always paying attention. It’s also highlighted his logical, analytical side. I could see a career path in chemistry, biology or life sciences for Owen. Maybe that train trip as a two-year-old will resonate when he’s making career decisions. Whatever he chooses, I’m confident he’ll keep asking me the tough questions.