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The CHILD STAGE begins as the baby becomes a boy at about age four. We will explore the boy’s world in chapter three. Once weaned, and able to begin taking care of himself, he will be called a boy and will get quite angry if called a baby.
A boy is more complex than a baby. Boys must learn to ask for the things they need. They must make themselves understandable to others. Boys must discover what satisfies them each day. To do this, each boy must learn to act exactly like himself–like the boy he is in his heart. Boys must develop their talents and resources. Their performance must be self-expression but not as a way to earn approval or love. Boys must learn to receive and give life freely. They must learn to do hard things, things that they don’t feel like doing at the time, but which are important and satisfying later. Each boy learns how to pack and carry his own backpack, read a map, keep moving on the trail and enjoy the view.
In preparation for manhood, boys must learn the “big picture” of life. This overall picture of life and maturity becomes his “topo” map. He must also learn the history of his own family because his big picture of life must first apply to people he knows. Family history tells him where he is on his map.
The goal for childhood is to teach a boy to take care of one person–himself. Taking care of himself must be second nature before he can take care of two or more people at the same time, as men do.
NEEDS
- Weaning
- Help doing what he doesn’t feel like
- Authentic help sorting feelings, imaginations and reality
- Feedback on guesses, attempts and failures
- Love he does not have to earn
- Be taught family history
- Be taught history of God’s Family
- Be taught the big picture of life
TASKS
- Take care of one person – himself
- Learn self expression
- Develop his personal resources and talents
- Learn to make himself understandable to others
- Learn to ask
- Learn to do hard things
- Tame his cravings
- Learn what really satisfies
- See himself through the eyes of heaven
