At some point in school, the Pledge of Allegiance gets to be rote. I think it’s about the 3rd or 4th grade.
Stand
Hand to heart .
No, the other side.
All together now, “I pledge allegiance …..”
It’s just one more thing to do as a kid, like combing your hair, changing your underwear every few days and beating up your kid brother – it’s a chore.
But in 1st Grade, hah. In 1st Grade, the pledge is magical. As you can see here, my 6-year-old is pretty proud of his pledge. Sure, he butchers a couple words (Ooh-nited State of Ermerica and For Widget Stands being my person favorites). Owen delivers the Pledge:
Take this scene from the other day that Owen’s still talking about: He was asked by his teacher to go to the Principal’s Office at the start of the day to say the Pledge on the intercom to the entire school. He was reminded to slow down, which he did – slowing waaaaaaaay down. And when he came back to class, his 1st grade and the neighboring 3rd grade gave him a standing ovation.
That’s the stuff of dreams to a 6-year-old, especially one who likes to perform like my boy.
Someday he’ll be ready for talk of what that pledge means, why the hand is on the heart and maybe even debate (or argue himself before the Supreme Court) about that “God” line.
For now, it’s just cool to know all (or most) of the words to a “poem” as he calls it. For now, it’s just cool to get that standing O every time you finish “for all.” For now, all the world’s a stage and he’s just glad merely being a player.
My boy.
I wish I had been at school to hear him over the loudspeaker! That's my grandson!!!
I wish I had been at school to hear him over the loudspeaker! That's my grandson!!!