Five is being a big age for Scarlett. She would be in the last half term of her first year at school now at five and a half. Instead she has picked up swimming lessons, Badgers and Rainbows all since she turned five and is loving all of them. At Rainbows she loves the crafts, the mingling with a room full of other little girls who all coo and ahh over each others cuddly toys; at Badgers she loves being with Davies and joining in the activities he does; at swimming she loves chatting to the children next to her in the lesson and putting her all into trying to swim. She’s a long way from swimming but like everything she does it is with 100% effort and intention of success.
Scarlett will always be the baby of the family, the little sister, my youngest child and sometimes this doesn’t do her any favours as she is indulged and made allowances for that she doesn’t really need but she was born with a fierce streak of independance and it shows no sign of abating. I delight in having a daughter and in being adored by someone as discerning, special and unique as Scarlett who does not give her affections lightly.
She has friends and gets what she needs from her social interactions. She has no desire for a best friend and if asked would name Davies as that without hesitation. They enjoy a very close, very equal relationship that evolves as they grow and is one of the greatest benefits of our lifestyle in my opinion.
One of the things I most admire in Scarlett is her lack of dependancy, she doesn’t *need* other people, their company, their affection, their recognition. She enjoys it when she gets it and is clever at ensuring she does but I have never known her upset at another child’s slight, she is excellent at shrugging off things she doesn’t agree with and is a very self sufficient little girl. It is this very lack of needing others which will probably make her popular.
She has lost some her pink fluffiness this year and while she still has her girlie days when she is to be found adorning herself, her dolls, me and anything else that doesnt’ move quick enough with glitter, gloss and nailpaint she is far more likely to be out in the garden getting muddy.
Scarlett loves our chickens and cat and still has a real passion for animals and wants to work in a zoo when she grows up. She has a tendancy to support the underdog and enjoys looking after and caring for others. She is adventurous, impetuous and imaginative.
Scarlett lacks patience. I suspect this is a personality trait rather than an indicator of her age, she can be intolerant and does not pull her punches with stating things how they are. She needs a reason before she will do something and expects to be treated with respect and intelligence. I don’t know that she has leadership qualities but she is great at going her own way and often that means others will follow. She can be stroppy and argumentative but as I said last year she is good at taking herself away from situations and dealing with them in her own way without impacting too greatly on others.
Last year I talked about her athletic tendancies, these have grown and increased. She is strong, fit, active and competitive. She has impressive stamina and loves to run, climb and dance. She is very musical and adores to sing, she learns words and tunes within a few hearings of a song she likes and carries the tune well. She often makes up her own songs (usually when sitting on the loo!). But as with everything Scarlett does she would likely not have the discipline to join a group or get any enjoyment out of musical theatre or similar. Singing and dancing is something she does when the mood takes her and a way of expressing her happiness, not something she has any desire to ‘learn to do properly’ or to anyone else’s beat.
Scarlett is challenging, adorable, a complex mix of traits which make her impossible and wonderful all at once.