Synopsis: In this week’s episode, Kilee interviews her oldest son Easton about 2020, middle school and his perspective on getting through challenges.
Today on the podcast. I am interviewing my eldest son Easton, who is eleven years old. We are talking about what 2020 was like for him and how he has grown over the last year. We will also chat about how he chooses optimism in his life and what it’s like to be the oldest of five boys.
It was definitely a unique school year for Easton, and probably for most kids. He is doing virtual learning three times a week. He stays home with his brothers and the dogs on the virtual days, but it gets boring. We try to mix it up when we can and one great thing is that as the oldest, Easton gets to come to work and hang out with Mom and Dad. I love that he gets to see both of us working hard, and in turn, he’s been a great helper! He was our number one “earring sorter” after our big Buy One, Give One campaign. I think he sorted at least 400 pairs of earrings for donation.
As a family of seven, there is always a lot going on but Easton’s a natural helper and is super responsible especially with his younger brothers. As the eldest of four brothers, I can see a lot of myself in him and the pressure to be a role model. We’re kind of the guinea pig for the parents for the rest of the kids. But Easton does a great job of being a big brother, which he likes because he gets to do things first and enjoys more privileges than the younger boys. In a year where being stuck inside and a bit bored has become the norm, it’s been great to see Easton come into his own while still being a great example to his brothers.
The most significant change of 2020 for Easton (and myself, as his mom) was starting middle school. It didn’t look how we expected it to. Still, Easton was excited about the experience and said it’s better than elementary school because everyone seems more excited to learn and participate. We hope next year will be different, but I’m happy to see him finding the silver linings and pushing through.
Even though life changed in ways we didn’t expect, Easton has kept a positive attitude. He says he tries to focus on other things and not the disappointing stuff or what he might be missing. His advice for seeing the bright side of things: Focus on what makes life good and why you want it to be that way. If there are things you are not so happy about, try to change those. I hope to keep our interview as an annual tradition, and I hope you loved having him on as much as me.
Listen to the full podcast here:
This was adorable. Such a driven young man at such a young age. You should be one proud mama!
Thank you! He’s pretty awesome.