Literally since before they could talk, the girls have been
making observations about the world around them.
I love to tell them the story of how we were
passing a sign with dogs on it – oblivious to me – when I heard the girls, then
about 15 months, slapping their legs from the backseat of the car. It took me a moment to recognize they were
signing “dog”, but sure enough, I spotted the billboard outside their window.
I wrote not long ago about how they’ve become full-fledged
backseat drivers since we turned their car seats around earlier this year. “Do you think we’ll make that light, Mommy?” “Mommy, the speed limit is 45. How fast are you going?”
Their commentary extends far beyond what we’re doing. Lately they seem to seek what they see as
social, moral, ethical, and environmental injustices in nothing short of
WonderTwin fashion.
“Mommy! That man is
smoking! It’s bad for his health!”
“Mommy! I see a
bottle in the grass! That’s not good for
the environment!”
“Mommy! Someone didn’t
return their cart! That is very
inconsiderate!”
“Mommy! Those people
are eating at a chemical restaurant!” (This
is usually followed by a hacking sound, then laughter.)
“Mommy! That person
is riding a motorcycle without a helmet!”
A couple of times my A has gone on to say, “He has on the wrong pants,
and the wrong shirt, and the wrong shoes.”
[I finally figured out that I explained one time why people often wear
leather jackets and pants and boots to ride motorcycles…I guess she thinks
those items are a “must.”]
“Mommy! That dog is
not on a leash! I hope that’s his
yard! And I hope they have an
underground fence. That wouldn’t be safe
for him to be out without his mommy or daddy!”
“Be safe, Sweet Pup!”
“Mommy! That car was
going FAST! Do you think they’ll get a
ticket?”
And these comments are just from our weekend outings. Over the course of a week, the list would be
much, much longer.
Many times, the girls will ask “WHY” people do certain
things, or make certain choices. I do my
best to present my answer in a non-judgmental way.
About some things, I will remind the girls, “Different
people have different rules, and that’s OK.”
And about other things – like smoking and eating foods
certain foods – I take a more direct approach.
“Maybe some people don’t have the same information that we have. Mommy and Daddy read, and we work with your
pediatrician and our doctors to know what things are good for our bodies. We know about making good choices for us, and
that’s what we do.”
And about some things, like litter, I’ll agree, “Yes,
someone was being very inconsiderate. It’s
very impolite to throw trash on the ground, and it’s bad for the environment.”
I’m trying to temper the girls from being too goody-goody…at
least within earshot of other people…but I have to laugh to myself at my
miniature citizens on patrol.
2 comments:
Oh my God, they are so bright! Not even 5 years old and some serious cognitive reasoning going on! High five, mommy! But seriously those are some really awesome observations they are making and it's good to hear that you are being mindful of not swaying them to be too "judgy" and letting them make their own decisions about how they feel on matters.
I can't wait until the day your girls and mine get to meet! Mine are the same way, but we've talked about how their comments might hurt other people's feelings and they're old enough to know how to time their commentary. The other day, M waited until a couple left the restaurant we were in to ask why the grownups had been so small. They were dwarves.
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