You know that old quote that goes something like "They make you pass a test to drive a car or adopt a dog, but any old idiot can have a baby..."?
Well, Miss 4 is definitely the child who makes me think I should have had to prove I was up to the challenge before being allowed to take her home from the hospital. Lately she is completely fascinated by a children's encyclopedia of the human body. She refers to it as her "bone book". She has been known to spend several detailed minutes drawing red blood cells and the oxygen they are absorbing in vivid, primary red and blue. I don't know whether to be thrilled that she is inquisitive or worried that she's quirky...
Her interest has led her to all sorts of deep questions that require more intellect than I possess on any given day. Most recently she wants to know where things go when they die. What happens to their skin and eyeballs? Having recently explained what the stones in cemeteries were all about, she is more than a little concerned at all of the faux headstones cropping up this last week of October in yards around our house and neighborhood.
This leads to this morning's adventure in parenting. I found her with an early reader Bible, looking at the page of Jesus drawing the little children into his arms. She was more than a little perturbed. The following conversation took place.
Mama: What's up Boo?
M4: It's not fair that these kids got to meet Jesus and I wasn't there.
Mama: But this took place a really, really, really long time ago. None of your family was alive.
M4: But I want to meet him too. Is he still alive?
Mama: Remember our conversation about spirits?...
M4:(interrupting) Jesus is dead?!?
Mama: No! Wait! Just...remember about spirits and heaven?
M4: Well who has Jesus' skin and eyeballs and bones?
Mama:(breaking into a panicky sweat and way over my head) Um...You don't need them in heaven, so his spirit...
M4: If I'm bigger can I go looking for bones? I only want to find one little one...Hey! What happens to eyeballs? How come you never find eyeballs in the ground?
This went on for several more minutes and never really resolved. Finally, unsatisfied with my information Miss 4 went off to find something more interesting to focus on and left me feeling like I just am completely unprepared. I mean, explaining death, spiritual beliefs, decomposition and burial practices is really just above and beyond me at the best of times.
I remember years ago, in a previous job, fielding a phone call from a parent who was about to have a baby and wanted parenting support and a list of parenting classes. In talking to her for a bit, she revealed that she had been watching Jeopardy and suddenly came to believe that she didn't personally know enough to teach her children all that they would need to know. At the time, I didn't understand how daunting it is to be responsible for continually teaching a child and answering their questions. I hear you now Sister. I get it. Kaplan Test Prep has nothing out there for this kind of evaluation.
In the meantime, Miss 4 has learned that I often have to go to the computer and get the answer she needs; so yes, my child does occasionally say "Mama? Can you Google it?" It's a strange territory I have found myself in.
Well, Miss 4 is definitely the child who makes me think I should have had to prove I was up to the challenge before being allowed to take her home from the hospital. Lately she is completely fascinated by a children's encyclopedia of the human body. She refers to it as her "bone book". She has been known to spend several detailed minutes drawing red blood cells and the oxygen they are absorbing in vivid, primary red and blue. I don't know whether to be thrilled that she is inquisitive or worried that she's quirky...
Her interest has led her to all sorts of deep questions that require more intellect than I possess on any given day. Most recently she wants to know where things go when they die. What happens to their skin and eyeballs? Having recently explained what the stones in cemeteries were all about, she is more than a little concerned at all of the faux headstones cropping up this last week of October in yards around our house and neighborhood.
This leads to this morning's adventure in parenting. I found her with an early reader Bible, looking at the page of Jesus drawing the little children into his arms. She was more than a little perturbed. The following conversation took place.
Mama: What's up Boo?
M4: It's not fair that these kids got to meet Jesus and I wasn't there.
Mama: But this took place a really, really, really long time ago. None of your family was alive.
M4: But I want to meet him too. Is he still alive?
Mama: Remember our conversation about spirits?...
M4:(interrupting) Jesus is dead?!?
Mama: No! Wait! Just...remember about spirits and heaven?
M4: Well who has Jesus' skin and eyeballs and bones?
Mama:(breaking into a panicky sweat and way over my head) Um...You don't need them in heaven, so his spirit...
M4: If I'm bigger can I go looking for bones? I only want to find one little one...Hey! What happens to eyeballs? How come you never find eyeballs in the ground?
This went on for several more minutes and never really resolved. Finally, unsatisfied with my information Miss 4 went off to find something more interesting to focus on and left me feeling like I just am completely unprepared. I mean, explaining death, spiritual beliefs, decomposition and burial practices is really just above and beyond me at the best of times.
I remember years ago, in a previous job, fielding a phone call from a parent who was about to have a baby and wanted parenting support and a list of parenting classes. In talking to her for a bit, she revealed that she had been watching Jeopardy and suddenly came to believe that she didn't personally know enough to teach her children all that they would need to know. At the time, I didn't understand how daunting it is to be responsible for continually teaching a child and answering their questions. I hear you now Sister. I get it. Kaplan Test Prep has nothing out there for this kind of evaluation.
In the meantime, Miss 4 has learned that I often have to go to the computer and get the answer she needs; so yes, my child does occasionally say "Mama? Can you Google it?" It's a strange territory I have found myself in.
