ten test

My firstborn thinks he's about to turn ten.  Ten!  Cripes, how did that happen?

We have told Pook that there is a Ten Test which he must pass in order to pass this birthday milestone.  He is still struggling with the first item, and is reminded daily that this test is upcoming.  He denies that there is such a thing, so to prove to him that there is a Ten Test, I have reprinted it below.

Ten Test
1. Can you complete a meal without using your fingers?
2. Can you brush your teeth in the same bathroom as a sibling without arguing with him or spitting on him?
3. Can you match shirts, pants and socks without pairing navy blue with black?
4. Can you pack the materials you need for a sport without forgetting anything?
5. Can you complete your homework and return it to school without reminders?
6. Can you talk to an adult politely?
7. Can you answer the phone while your mother is in the bathroom without telling the person on the phone that your mother is in the bathroom?
8. Can you prepare a healthy snack for yourself?
9. Can you cut with a knife?
10. Can you run an errand which involves leaving the house and remembering the errand long enough to complete it and return?

If you have answered 'yes' to all ten of these questions, and if your tenth birthday is imminent and you know what the word 'imminent' means, then you are deemed worthy of turning ten.

Congratulations!