So I was scrolling through Twitter last night, kinda bored, and saw like five different people talking about this poem Now We Are Six from A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh books. Like, all at once. And I thought, “Wait, isn’t that the one about turning six? Why is it popping up now?” Honestly, I barely remembered it. Hadn’t read it since my nephew was little, and he’s in high school now! Felt kinda dumb not knowing why it’s suddenly a thing again.
Figured I should actually, you know, reread the darn poem first. Pulled up my dusty old copy of When We Were Very Young off the shelf near the fireplace. Spotted it tucked between some bigger books, covered in a thin layer of dust – wiped it off with my sleeve. Sat down at my kitchen table, flipped through the yellowed pages, crumbs from breakfast still there. Found it. Read it out loud. “When I was one, I was just begun…” Yeah, that one. It’s short. Sweet. Simple. Talks about being little and then finally feeling grown-up hitting six.
Okay, simple poem. Check. But why the buzz? Started digging. Hit up Instagram and TikTok, searched the hashtag. Bingo! Tons of videos. Parents filming their kids on their actual sixth birthdays, holding up signs saying “Now I Am Six!” or reading the poem aloud, all proud and maybe a little shy. Kids shouting “I AM SIX NOW!” like it’s the biggest accomplishment ever. Saw one little girl dressed as a queen because she was six. Felt kinda heartwarming, gotta admit.
Then it clicked. Maybe it’s not really about the poem being amazing literature or something deep. Maybe it’s just… super relatable for little kids hitting that age. Think about it:
- Turning six is huge for them! They’re not “babies” anymore (or so they think!).
- The poem says that! It captures that exact feeling of pride.
- It’s short, easy to remember, easy to act out or put in a video.
- Parents remember it vaguely, see other parents doing it… boom, it becomes the perfect, simple way to celebrate turning six.
Seriously, it’s like the poem became the official anthem for the sixth birthday. Makes it super easy for parents looking for a cute tradition. Saw one comment on a video: “We did this for Bella! Saw it everywhere, had to join in!” So yeah, it kinda snowballed.
Is it high art? Nah, probably not. Is it connecting with a whole bunch of six-year-olds and their parents right now? Absolutely. It’s simple, it’s fun, it makes the kid feel like a superstar for surviving five whole years and hitting six. And honestly, seeing those kids beam while declaring “I AM SIX NOW!”? After reading it and poking around, I totally get why it’s having its moment. Pure, uncomplicated kid joy. Simple things hit hard sometimes.
