Bubble Boy asked me, "what state does God live in?" We had just gotten back home after visiting relatives out of state for Easter. We had traveled through three states, and the kids always get excited to cross the borders. Bubble Boy knows his grandparents live in Indiana and he has cousins living in various states. Naturally, he wondered in what state God resides.
I told him God doesn't live in a state or even on Earth. Most people believe God lives in a place called heaven, and that might be in outer space, but no one really knows where heaven is. At least, that is my belief. "But, you will see him some day," I told him.
"When I'm dead?"
"Yes."
He put his head down, and I noticed he was crying. I asked him, "what's the matter- you really want to see God?"
"Uh-huh."
"Would you like to start going to church so you can learn more about God?" We never go to church, but always say we will start going someday.
"Uh-huh." He is feeling better now.
Is this mere curiosity or is he missing something in his life? People usually seek out God when they need fulfilling of some sort. He's four. What fulfilling could he need? All kids are curious about God, but do they cry when they can't see him?
As parents, I believe we are guides for our children. We can impart upon them our wisdom and beliefs, but should also allow them to explore other beliefs on their own, hopefully with our guidance (we are the guides after all). We haven't been going to church, and I feel we are denying our children an experience. Perhaps we aren't church goers because we don't feel it is crucial to our well-being. What if it is crucial to our children's well-being?
Here is this little wide-eyed four-year-old who wants to know God. As Christians, it feels sinful to not make this happen. However, even an atheist should allow her children to explore religion. A child should learn about the world for himself and not just from what his parents tell him.
In any case, the former Baptist in me says we better set the alarm clock next Sunday, or we parents are really going to HELL.
Showing posts with label Out of the Mouths of Babes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Out of the Mouths of Babes. Show all posts
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Look, Mommy!
Today at Arby's Bubble Boy pointed to something and said something I couldn't make out (he is in speech therapy for intelligibility issues). I had a sense that he was pointing to someone instead of something so I was afraid to look.
I remember when I was about three or four and I was sitting in a restaurant with my younger sister and mother. My sister and I were giggling and pointing. To my mother's horror, we were giggling and pointing at someone. That someone was a black man. Thankfully, we weren't saying the "N" word. I don't even think we'd heard that word. We had heard the word "colored," however, and that is what we were giggling about.
"Mommy, look, there's a colored man. Hee hee hee."
Obviously, there weren't many "colored" men in the town in which we grew up. Obviously, we had gleaned from society or certain family members, who shall remain unnamed, that being "colored" was something to giggle at.
My mother tried her best to hush us. I don't know if the man heard us or not, but he gave no indication that he did.
I remembered this incident as I sat in Arby's with my four-year-old, hoping he wasn't pointing at someone.
"Mommy, I said look!"
"Look at what?" I said, eyes still lowered, procrastinating the embarrassment I knew was coming. Who was it? A person of color? Surely not. Bubble Boy has seen a million on t.v. not to mention the many we call friends. A disfigured person? Maybe.
No. "Look. It's an old guy."
I briefly looked out of the corner of my eye. As in my childhood memory, I couldn't tell if he heard us. I hoped he didn't. Awkward!
When I didn't respond, Bubble Boy said it again, louder. "AN OLD GUY!"
I whispered the mommy-type things. "It's not nice to point at people," etc.
Bubble Boy sulked. How could I not get excited about an old guy? Maybe he rode dinosaurs or something. What? Has my son not seen old people? To his credit, his grandparents, and even his great-grandparents, do seem young.
I know how disturbing it is that my sister and I laughed at an African American back in the seventies. Our society has come a long way. Thankfully, my sister and I did too; we grew up as sensitive, caring people who would never do such a thing nowadays.
I find it disturbing that my son thinks of an elderly man as a novelty. What does this say about our society today?
My family is planning on participating in Disney's "Give a Day, Get a Day" promotion. We have chosen a job that entails visiting and helping out the elderly. The timing is perfect.
I remember when I was about three or four and I was sitting in a restaurant with my younger sister and mother. My sister and I were giggling and pointing. To my mother's horror, we were giggling and pointing at someone. That someone was a black man. Thankfully, we weren't saying the "N" word. I don't even think we'd heard that word. We had heard the word "colored," however, and that is what we were giggling about.
"Mommy, look, there's a colored man. Hee hee hee."
Obviously, there weren't many "colored" men in the town in which we grew up. Obviously, we had gleaned from society or certain family members, who shall remain unnamed, that being "colored" was something to giggle at.
My mother tried her best to hush us. I don't know if the man heard us or not, but he gave no indication that he did.
I remembered this incident as I sat in Arby's with my four-year-old, hoping he wasn't pointing at someone.
"Mommy, I said look!"
"Look at what?" I said, eyes still lowered, procrastinating the embarrassment I knew was coming. Who was it? A person of color? Surely not. Bubble Boy has seen a million on t.v. not to mention the many we call friends. A disfigured person? Maybe.
No. "Look. It's an old guy."
I briefly looked out of the corner of my eye. As in my childhood memory, I couldn't tell if he heard us. I hoped he didn't. Awkward!
When I didn't respond, Bubble Boy said it again, louder. "AN OLD GUY!"
I whispered the mommy-type things. "It's not nice to point at people," etc.
Bubble Boy sulked. How could I not get excited about an old guy? Maybe he rode dinosaurs or something. What? Has my son not seen old people? To his credit, his grandparents, and even his great-grandparents, do seem young.
I know how disturbing it is that my sister and I laughed at an African American back in the seventies. Our society has come a long way. Thankfully, my sister and I did too; we grew up as sensitive, caring people who would never do such a thing nowadays.
I find it disturbing that my son thinks of an elderly man as a novelty. What does this say about our society today?
My family is planning on participating in Disney's "Give a Day, Get a Day" promotion. We have chosen a job that entails visiting and helping out the elderly. The timing is perfect.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Brotherly Love
Today I was making turkey noodle soup for dinner. As I was pulling the meat from the frame, I gave the wishbone to J.T. and Bubble Boy. I told them each to take a side and pull while making a wish. I forgot to mention wishes are made silently, and so they both excitedly blurted their wishes out loud.
As they yanked on the greasy bone, Bubble Boy said, "I wish that J.T. and I will never get hurt again." I will never forget that sweet face, still healing from a run-in with the bedroom door frame, and that four-year-old voice wishing not only for himself, but for his brother. *sigh*
Meanwhile, J.T. exclaims, "I wish Bubble Boy were dead!" Do you hear all the movie sound effects for "the fun has ended"? I took the bone and asked J.T. why he said that. I suppose he could tell from the look on my face he had chosen the wrong wish. He ran from the room, and when I caught up with him, he was tearing up. I asked him if he was kidding. He had a confused look on his face, and I think his wish was just the act of repeating a line he had heard other kids say about themselves, siblings, parents, etc. It was a stock answer. J.T. has never said anything like that before, and he and Bubble Boy love each other and are best buddies.
He finally said he was kidding, and apologized to Bubble Boy, who was horrified and crying. He gave J.T. a hug, and all was well (except Bubble Boy might sleep with his eyes open tonight).
As they yanked on the greasy bone, Bubble Boy said, "I wish that J.T. and I will never get hurt again." I will never forget that sweet face, still healing from a run-in with the bedroom door frame, and that four-year-old voice wishing not only for himself, but for his brother. *sigh*
Meanwhile, J.T. exclaims, "I wish Bubble Boy were dead!" Do you hear all the movie sound effects for "the fun has ended"? I took the bone and asked J.T. why he said that. I suppose he could tell from the look on my face he had chosen the wrong wish. He ran from the room, and when I caught up with him, he was tearing up. I asked him if he was kidding. He had a confused look on his face, and I think his wish was just the act of repeating a line he had heard other kids say about themselves, siblings, parents, etc. It was a stock answer. J.T. has never said anything like that before, and he and Bubble Boy love each other and are best buddies.
He finally said he was kidding, and apologized to Bubble Boy, who was horrified and crying. He gave J.T. a hug, and all was well (except Bubble Boy might sleep with his eyes open tonight).
Thursday, September 10, 2009
An Ant in the Sun
Last night my son called me into his room to show me a fire ant he killed. "I smashed it against the wall, Mom," he said proudly. He picked up the crumpled insect to show me.
"That's not a fire ant," I said. "Fire ants are red; that one is black." He had a look of horror on his face. He didn't want to believe he killed an innocent "friendly" ant.
Finally, he said, "Tomorrow we will take it and put it in the sunlight, and it will come back to life." I calmly (read: madly trying not to laugh) explained to him that sunlight does not make things come back to life. "But J.T. said it does!" I told him I was older and wiser than his brother and again insisted sunlight will not make the little ant crawl around and do anty things again.
I said, "If you want to, we can do an experiment and put the ant in the sun tomorrow. We will see if it comes back to life." By that time he was defeated. He smeared the ant on his pajamas and flung himself in bed.
Sweet dreams, little repentant bug killer.
"That's not a fire ant," I said. "Fire ants are red; that one is black." He had a look of horror on his face. He didn't want to believe he killed an innocent "friendly" ant.
Finally, he said, "Tomorrow we will take it and put it in the sunlight, and it will come back to life." I calmly (read: madly trying not to laugh) explained to him that sunlight does not make things come back to life. "But J.T. said it does!" I told him I was older and wiser than his brother and again insisted sunlight will not make the little ant crawl around and do anty things again.
I said, "If you want to, we can do an experiment and put the ant in the sun tomorrow. We will see if it comes back to life." By that time he was defeated. He smeared the ant on his pajamas and flung himself in bed.
Sweet dreams, little repentant bug killer.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Family Guy
A couple of years ago I had a serious eye infection. This infection spurred a condition I have called recurrent corneal erosion. Yes, it is as painful as it sounds. Although my right eye was fine, if I used it it would cause me to move my left eye, which would be extremely painful. Therefore, most of the time I would have my eyes closed (except when I needed to open the Percocet bottle).
Why am I writing about this? Well, there is something that makes me think back to those days of almost blindness. That something is a show called Family Guy. Family Guy almost makes me look back with fondness on those days of eye patches and the inability to drive. At least back then I wouldn't have to see that crappy show.
My husband is an avid watcher of the Griffins and their shenanigans. If the show is on, he is watching it. This often means I have to send the kids to bed early (if you've ever seen it, you know why). He chooses the show over the kids most of the time. Ah, t.v. and family togetherness.
Tonight, I let my three-year-old stay up. He has been feeling lonely now that the older kids are in school. Steve was watching "Family Crap." I hoped most of the show would go over Bubble Boy's head, but he always knows when something is supposed to be funny, and he repeats it. Tonight he repeated, "Daddy, ha, ha, they said, 'when you die you are supposed to soil yourself!'"
Now he just needs to repeat that during his preschool interview.
Why don't I like it? #1: It is just not funny. The crudeness and politically incorrectness and anything else it exudes to be "shocking" doesn't bother me; it just isn't funny. #2: It is annoying. Why do I want to hear the kinds of things kids say in junior high? The pointless and weird tangents the show takes do not make it funny.
The only thing that puts a slightly amused smile on my face is Stewie, the evil baby. He is my comic relief while I am stuck listening to the show because I am trapped in the kitchen doing dishes. Stewie makes one wonder if all innocent looking babes are plotting the world's destruction and their mother's demise. Alas, unlike the show itself and its nightly marathons, all it takes to quiet Stewie is his binky.
Why am I writing about this? Well, there is something that makes me think back to those days of almost blindness. That something is a show called Family Guy. Family Guy almost makes me look back with fondness on those days of eye patches and the inability to drive. At least back then I wouldn't have to see that crappy show.
My husband is an avid watcher of the Griffins and their shenanigans. If the show is on, he is watching it. This often means I have to send the kids to bed early (if you've ever seen it, you know why). He chooses the show over the kids most of the time. Ah, t.v. and family togetherness.
Tonight, I let my three-year-old stay up. He has been feeling lonely now that the older kids are in school. Steve was watching "Family Crap." I hoped most of the show would go over Bubble Boy's head, but he always knows when something is supposed to be funny, and he repeats it. Tonight he repeated, "Daddy, ha, ha, they said, 'when you die you are supposed to soil yourself!'"
Now he just needs to repeat that during his preschool interview.
Why don't I like it? #1: It is just not funny. The crudeness and politically incorrectness and anything else it exudes to be "shocking" doesn't bother me; it just isn't funny. #2: It is annoying. Why do I want to hear the kinds of things kids say in junior high? The pointless and weird tangents the show takes do not make it funny.
The only thing that puts a slightly amused smile on my face is Stewie, the evil baby. He is my comic relief while I am stuck listening to the show because I am trapped in the kitchen doing dishes. Stewie makes one wonder if all innocent looking babes are plotting the world's destruction and their mother's demise. Alas, unlike the show itself and its nightly marathons, all it takes to quiet Stewie is his binky.
Friday, July 17, 2009
The New Billy Mays?
Maybe I need to restrict the T.V. watching a little more. Today I was putting my hair in a bun, and my five-year-old said, "Mommy, you could put on a "Bumpit." You put it on your head and you can 'bump it up!' It bumps up your hair." OK... Should a five-year-old boy be giving me advice on this?
But wait- there's more! The other day he told me we could get a "Topsy Turvy" to grow larger tomatoes on.
He also told me I could clean better with Clorox disinfecting wipes.
However, it's his latest comment that makes me think he doesn't need to pitch someone else's product. He just might come up with his own product. He just needs to figure out how to market to birds... "If a mommy bird hangs worms on the branch above her nest, then the baby birds will learn to fly by trying to grab the worms."
Now, what is the contact info for As Seen on T.V.?
But wait- there's more! The other day he told me we could get a "Topsy Turvy" to grow larger tomatoes on.
He also told me I could clean better with Clorox disinfecting wipes.
However, it's his latest comment that makes me think he doesn't need to pitch someone else's product. He just might come up with his own product. He just needs to figure out how to market to birds... "If a mommy bird hangs worms on the branch above her nest, then the baby birds will learn to fly by trying to grab the worms."
Now, what is the contact info for As Seen on T.V.?
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