100 Days of Writing – Day 8
Part of my traditional Sith-blooded culture/world-building is that they have a series of self-chosen trials or tests children can choose to put themselves through. Choice by the child themself is the key, though. These are completely voluntary and decided on by the children, but completing one grants a child a certain level of status and more autonomy. Some of these tests are more physical, some are more mental, and only some of them require Force-sensitivity. Some require an adult to supervise/witness it, others can be chosen and completed entirely on the child's own. Children don’t complete all of these self-tests, they choose the ones that suit them best.
One trial of patience, observation, stealth, and skill intended for older children and preteens is to observe a large predator over a period of time and then prove their understanding of that predator in some way. Most typically, to steal a “runt” from an overcrowded nest to raise (i.e. an animal unlikely to survive), but can also include things like obtaining feathers or a shed skin from the nest (complete with “selfies” of the act).
Obviously, this trial can be dangerous, but most of the time, the adults notice a child’s focus on this and keep tabs on them quietly. Occasionally, a child makes a fatal mistake, unfortunately, but they consider parenting a balance between protecting children from things they aren't ready for and preparing them for the dangers of the Academy and their apprenticeships.
The key is that all trials are completely self-chosen. Pressuring a child to undergo any trial is viewed as invalidating it entirely.
(Day 7 here) (Day 9 here)