This morning’s breakfast conversation between the three offspring (13, 12 and 8 years old) started off with a discourse from the middle child about why the youngest should stay off his mattress. That parlayed into a “Did not” “Did too” debate that involved all three and then inexplicably went head first into a discussion about North and South Korea and concluded with a brief overview of USA missile building during the Cold War.
My kids have always mixed the profound with the profoundly silly. It honestly impresses me to no end. They also know a whole heck of a lot of stuff, despite me taking all my parenting cues from Calvin’s Dad. (Yes – I’ve had to apologize to their teachers, my mother, my husband – but I digress.)
Some of their conversations make me laugh, some of them make me cry, some of them make me roll my eyes (Seriously. How can boys have a 15 minute conversation about cutting muffins? It’s not that funny!), but I love listening to them talk to each other.
The boys were 5 & 6 when Max decided he was going to join the Army as soon as he turned 18. This is the conversation they had about it as they were riding in the back seat of my mom’s minivan:
Max: I’m joining the Army.
Mr. Schmee: Why?
Max: Because I have to save our country and stuff. It’s my duty to save America.
Schmee: Oh. But you don’t have a gun.
Max: I think they give you one when you get there.
Schmee: Everyone?
Max: I think when everyone’s in the room together they ask who has a gun and who doesn’t and then everyone that doesn’t have a gun raises his hand and they pass them out.
Schmee: Cool.
Max: Yeah.
Schmee: Do you get to keep you gun when you leave?
Max: Only if you kill someone with it.
Schmee: Oh.
(A couple of minutes pass as both boys consider this.)
Schmee: Max?
Max: What?
Schmee: I hope you don’t get to keep you gun.
Max: Me too.
I tear up every time I tell this story and apparently when I type it too! See what I’m talking about?!? So much wisdom in such tiny little bodies.
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Here is a picture of them then. They are taller, sweatier and more stinky now. :)
I don’t shield my kids from the world (as much as I want to sometimes) because I want them to have a good understanding of the world around them. If my kids ever participate in a beauty pageant I want them to be able to answer the current events questions and not say “I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our nation don’t have maps and, uh, I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and, uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and, I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, or, uh, should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future”. Right?!
We only occasionally watch the news, but we listen to it frequently. We discuss issues like terrorism, religion, illegal immigration and <gasp> gay marriage. I try to provide my kids with both sides of a debate. When they ask me what I think, I tell them and then respectfully explain what those on the opposite side of the issue believe. This usually concludes with me telling them to form their opinions, not mine or their friends, but their own.
Some things they agree with me on. Other things, not so much. The oldest is turning into Alex P. Keaton making our family this century’s version of “Family Ties” and Super Awesome Husband and I are totally okay with that. Mostly okay. I’m NOT buying him a monogrammed briefcase.
I want them to be kids, I want them to enjoy life and be free from carrying around all the heavy things you have to carry around when you’re a grown up. (I just stole that from a song from Broadway’s “Matilda” – like a boss.) BUT – I also don’t want them to be so self-absorbed that they don’t notice there is a whole, wide world around them.
And such as, like, stuff and other things. ;)
How do you talk to your kids about current events?
