Are you Tough enough?

Today in the store Jacob and I were looking for Mamos.

Jacob: "I guess he is tough enough!"
Me: "Who"
Jacob: "That man." A man had walked by us.
Me: "What do you mean?"
Jacob: "He is tough enough to wear pink!"
I looked at the man who had recently passed us and he a pink shirt on. I thought that was so funny, I guess you have to be a pretty tough guy to wear pink!

So you want to raise a Boy? This is the title to a book my mother gave me 5 1/2 years ago. I get it out every six months or so to read about the stages my boys are in.
Jack is between the Chapter of "The age of no reason: The 2-Year-Old." and "The beginning of Childhood: The 3-Year-Old."

Aiden is for sure in "The Me Stage: The 4-Year-Old"

Jacob is in "The Six Is Full of Tricks."
Highlights of this Chapter that seem to fit Jacob are;
-he is losing his first temporary teeth
-First and foremost he appears to be a wiggle-worm. He acts as though every part of his anatomy were attached to springs
-He is so uncomfortable in one position...pulling faces, jerking his arms about, striking some nearby boy just to get a rise out of them
-he wants to wrestle, run, jump, and holler.
-He longs to climb, crawl, pull, and push.
-he is a jabber box... He talks incessantly
...all this loose energy around, parents may get the idea Junior will accomplish something... this is not the way he feels about it. What he wants is continuous uninhibited action without worrying about any particular accomplishment... all of these qualities combine to make a 6-year-old a good beginner but a poor finisher... true of his play activity, eating, dressing bathing, or almost anything else he is expected to do.
-easily distracted... but not inattentive... his sharp little ears may be listening to everything...his alert and observing senses of sigh and sound pick up things like a hungry little vacuum cleaner.
-wants to play with a friend.. but in a matter of minutes they are quarreling, hitting and kicking.
-constant attempt to gain attention and build his personal status in the eyes of others.
-Junior goes on the defensive the moment any faults are called to his attention

This list goes on and on. It is so true. It describes Jacob to a "T" but it doesn't say what to do about it. It just lets you know it is all normal.
Like a Woman and or Mother I want to know "how to change him!!!!"

I think the most important thing that I learned about Jacob's behavior was that at this stage he wants to do well, he wants praise, he wants recognition.
It says boys will frequently fib if accused of anything directly, but easily induced to tell the truth if approached indirectly.
Example: Jacob, tell me how you accidentally happened to tear your book?

I think I will try this with Jacob. Last it says A boy who has been doing a little snitching himself is nearly always the most intolerant and critical of others who have committed the same offense.
Jacob is a good boy and right on schedule according to this book!