Tuesday, November 24, 2009

I Am An Army Of Dumb

I had an impromptu meeting with my oldest son Connor's teacher this week after class. She'd done a random literacy test on him and not only had he passed, he was testing above average. She was full of praise for not only him but for his parents as well, and if you could see the change this little boy has undergone since last year and the withdrawn and terrified little kindergartner he was, you'd understand the pleasure this brings to both his parents and his teacher.

On our way home from school he told me about a picture he'd drawn of a dinosaur and how different it was from his "old" pictures. Drawing is another area he's grown in. Before, as with most kids, everything was stick figures or blobs and even getting that out of him was like pulling teeth because he didn't want to try. He'll still ask me to draw something to start him out, but then he's off and filling the page with everything that spills from his imagination.

So now we're two paragraphs in and you're yawning and thinking 'that's great, your son's a prodigy, blah blah blah.' Sorry, that's not where I was going with this. No, instead, let me draw you over here, just past the familiar parental bias to something you may also recognize. Assumption based on parental bias. Huh? I can see by your faces that I've lost some of you, but I can also see knowing smiles. That's right, you've been there before. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, let me give you an example, one that ends up with me looking like an ass. As usual.

At bedtime last night, oldest was churning through his usual pre-bed stream-of-conscious brain dump of everything he'd learned that day or everything he thought I needed to know before I turned out the light and right in the middle of it he asks, "Daddy, is the world going to end?"

Stop it.

Do you want me to finish this or not?

I actually started down the right path, I led with no, but then I got side tracked with a brief explanation of how the sun would eventually run out of fuel and expand past Earth's orbit so yes, one day the world will end. I qualified this by assuring him that this wouldn't happen for billions of years. Hindsight being twenty twenty and all that, I maybe should have stuck with a simple no, the world will never end. Judging by my wife's glare of doom promising dire retribution for my gross stupidity she may have felt the same way. The glare came from across the bed, the middle of which was occupied by a crying six year old. The glare suggested that maybe I should go find out how comfortable my son's now empty bed was, or maybe, better yet, the mini-van. The glare suggested keeping one eye open and all the doors locked might not be a bad idea either.

For those of you without children or you do have them, they're just really young... children have no real comprehension of time at that age. Sure they're all cool with the dinosaurs being wiped out by a massive comet or asteroid or whatever it was, but that was like last Tuesday. Or maybe when mommy and daddy were babies. So unless you want to find yourself way past bedtime stuck in long drawn out story where the government is building us space ships to find another planet to live on and yes, we'll pack all your toys and sure you'll still be able to play with your friends on the space voyage, just shut up. The world will never end, Santa Claus is real and so is the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy.



"YOU WANT THE TRUTH! YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!"

61 comments:

  1. Preach it brother! Been there, done that, got the T-shirt, hate the photos taken along the way. Unless you're prepared for tear, obsessing and endless questions, never, ever, EVER go down those roads. EVER.

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  2. I can't believe you have been telling your kids about the inevitable destruction of the earth by an alien race.

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  3. Great news about your boy. Not so great about your lack of ability to keep your mouth shut.

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  4. I saved the zombie apocalypse talk for when mine were six. It just goes over better. And if they ask if you'll eat them if you turn into a walking corpse just say "no." but maybe pinch the fatty bottom part of their upper arm gently and nod your head knowingly.

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  5. Smooth move Ex-lax.

    *This might not be the most productive or helpful comment of the day...but really would you expect more from me?

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  6. That's ok Cap'tn, we all know he just wanted the drone of your voice to shut out all of the rattling of facts running around in his brain. We know how loud it can be up there for those super smart kids....sometimes they have to have "white noise". OUCH, sorry didn't mean to say your dissertation was not what he was looking for.

    LOL your a good dad and we love hearing about your son too! Smart kid, wonder where he got it from?

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  7. DUDE!! Even I can't watch those Discovery Channel shows that have programming about the Sun finally burning out. Sheeeesh. But at least you got it right about the Tooth Fairy.

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  8. Ah, good to hear you living down to your moniker, Captain (snicker)...

    Wait, the Sun is going to EXPAND!? Holy s#%t, dude, now I'M cryin'!

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  9. Oh, Captain my Captain... No, I did keep my mouth shut when my kids were little. I listened and asked thoughtful questions to make sure I wasn't going to reveal too much. Example: The queen was in kindergarten. On the ride home she would tell me all about everything that had happened that day at school. One day she tells me about (someone) talking about two other people having sex. (Yes, I had to control myself to not run off the road because of my heart attack). So when I could get a word in (as she inhaled) I asked her: "What *is* sex?" she says: "I don't know but they were talking about it..." and continues on with her daily 'lame ol' stories' as her sister used to call them.

    point: LISTEN and don't talk so much. And dear god take a deep breath man, you've got a long way to go.

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  10. I couldn't have said that last line better myself lol. I chaperoned 14 12 year old girls at a pool party on Saturday and my 12 year old cousin swam over to me, hugged me and said 'Toni, why are those two kissing? It's GROSS!' 'Nuff said.

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  11. nodding!!!!
    Off to show this to the man in my world that sees the need to tell the kids everything and plant ideas in their heads they didn't think of before he said "don't...<-- insert bad idea here"

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  12. The problem is not that you said that, just that you waited to long to say it. You've got to tell them everything when they're like... two, so by the time they start having conversations with you this stuff is old hat.

    (you don't mind your kids sleeping in your bed do you?)

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  13. That is exactly right. I cannot handle the truth. The truth sucks.
    I'm sad now.

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  14. yup, NEVER EVER EVER go there!!!!!! I always tell my stepson (who is the MOST neurotic worry wart of a 9-year-old you will ever meet) that he needs to let the grown ups worry about the grown up stuff and his job is to be a kid and go to school and play and be a good son and brother. When he's a grown up he can worry about sicknesses and the world ending and whether or not Korea has nuclear weapons. Sheesh.

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  15. When I was 3 or 4, apparently I went through a phase where I demanded 20 times a day that my mother reassure me she wasn't going to die. She says she couldn't, in all honesty, I mean she could get hit by a bus later that afternoon right?

    Yeah, honesty. Not always the best policy.

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  16. Just don't take your boys to see 2012. Otherwise, you'll have a lotta 'splainin' to do.
    just sayin'...

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  17. oh, and cool that he's brilliant!

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  18. Seeing a kid blossom at school is awesome. Seeing a dad learn a lesson about developmentally appropriate answers is even better. Hope SL lets you back in bed fairly soon. Twin beds are hard on a tall guy.

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  19. The best response to give to the question "Will the world end?" while enduring the glare is "Not fast enough to spare me."

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  20. Please, I can't handle the truth and I'm 38!
    I know the draw of trying to explain something to a six year old though. I especially know that point where you realize you are in way too far and have totally F'd up. Good goin, Capt!

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  21. Just reading this makes me fear it!
    If and when Sprite ever asks, I'm sending her to her father with a written note telling him to LIE FOR ALL HE IS WORTH.
    I may owe him in other ways for that, but I'll pay, GLADLY.

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  22. Honest to gracious, I did the SAME thing! To this day, my daughter worries about the sun dying and the earth imploding...and she's 17!! I was all wrapped up in science at the time and her teacher told her someday this would happen and she came home worried that it was the truth...which I happily confirmed with a long drawn-out explanation about it only being a bazillion years into the future...alas, it was too late!! She had a hard time sleeping for a few weeks. I kicked my own ass HARD over that one!

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  23. "stream-of-conscious brain dump" my 14 year still does this... and be prepared when they ask you about orgasms and the like...aaaggghhhh

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  24. Learned that lesson a looong time ago with the question "are you going to die someday?"
    I am STILL pissed at myself with being honest with my kids 3 years later.

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  25. Those are the questions that keep ME up at night, so it's no wonder that kids can't sleep either.

    Apathy Lounge

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  26. Oh no - it's all gone wrong! At least now you can really test yourself over the coming weeks, using your incredible backtracking skills. Because you know it's going to come up again. He'll test you, just in case he thinks you're lying. Good luck!

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  27. Ahhh there have been many times in my life I wish there was some sort of surgery that could insert a delay between the brain and the mouth. I guess that's call experience. And always remember once is experience twice is a mistake and DON'T make the mistake of telling that saying to a teenager. "Oh Mom I was just having an experience!!"

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  28. I will have to remember this example because I am afraid I will be very tempted to share the exact details of everything with my son. I hope I can get over that problem before he gets older.

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  29. Can you come do my parenting for me?

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  30. Just when I was starting to get worried that you weren't being true to your name, you go and pull a doozy like that. Nice job!

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  31. Oh, my GOD, Dumbass. I shit you not, my six-year old son also had a crying jag about the sun burning out earlier this year. It's tough being a deep-thinkin' kid, and you know, the mysteries of the universe do tend to be mind blowing. You did great. Even if it makes him sad, he'll know when you're bullshitting him, so don't. We had some tough Q n A about death this year, too, with tears and all. But I always tell the truth, in the most gentle way possible.

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  32. AHAHAHAHA! Oh I love it. You have just confirmed I'm not alone. Thank you.

    :)

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  33. Now that my kids are older, they reminisce about all the lies I sold them. The therapy has helped some...

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  34. Shame on you, scaring the poor kid with your Star Wars apocalyptic predictions! LMAO! Way to go Dad!!!!

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  35. You know, I was thinking about this just the other day, how I'll tell Oscar he has to take turns with a toy or something and he flips the fuck out because for him waiting five minutes for a turn might as well be his whole goddamn life. Five minutes is an eternity to a two year old.

    And stop scaring children. Sheesh.

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  36. oh poor daddy. i hate those kinds of mistakes!

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  37. I thought I was coming over here for a nice, fun, RTT, but noooo, I got to read about your prodigal son and your dumb-assy-ness. Nice. However, know that I still love you.

    And, just for the record, if I were in SL's place, I would have made you sleep on the couch. Hopefully you redeemed yourself with lots of good makeup sex!

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  38. I stuck with simple because it was easier, not because I was brilliant. After reading this I'm so glad I did. I hope you properly redeemed yourself.

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  39. Ah yessss...parenthood.... what is great is how quickly the little one will bounce back though (in my experience faster than the spouse)

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  40. I've had similar lapses in judgement (though I'm not crazy enough to blog about them). I bet five years from now he brings it up too "Dad remember when you told me we were all gonna DIE?"

    Kids have amazing memories like that.

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  41. Dude, what the HELL!? What's this business about the sun exploding and do I have time to finish that piece of pumpkin pie cheesecake sitting in my fridge first?

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  42. You brave, brave soul. I sure wish I could remember what my parent's answers were for those questions. I do remember it took me YEARS to believe that my grandparents were my Mom's parents/Dad's parents. I just did not believe it for a second.

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  43. When I was 4, my mother had to promise me that she and I would never die. Wise woman, she was (was being the key word there since she did go ahead and, well, you know.)

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  44. Ha - way to be brutally honest!! They may think you cold and callous, but they will never think you dishonest! :)

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  45. Youch, next thing you know, it'll be you running down Santa in the mall parking lot as your horrified kids scream from the back seat. Then your world will end because SL will kill you.

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  46. Happy Thanksgiving, Captain! Enjoy the day with your awesome family! :)

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  47. Would he chill out if you told him the world won't end for another 87,265,252,728,292,008,273,465 sleeps? You can quote me on that.

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  48. We noticed the huge change in Connor when you were up earlier. He spent hours on a picture.
    Amazing concentration for a 6 year old.

    now, for the Sun burning up. Holy crapola!
    I can still remember in Grade 2, that some kid
    told me an atom bomb was going to hit our school next year!
    But, as the person who told her little girl,
    she couldn't come in the room cos I was filling her Christmas Stocking, I can understand how easy it is to slip. I am
    picturing the look of horror on Supreme Leaders face. Make an invisible safety net
    around the world, you're his Dad, he'll believe it.

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  49. hahaha. i have two boys, and i love these conversations! congrats on the POTW over at Goddess!

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  50. Could be worse. Try avoiding explaining the birds and the bees to your son and then having him ask your wife about it. Yep, that happened here. AWKWARD.

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  51. Oh no! The minute you started talking about the sun and billions of years I had a pang of that little kid fear. I was an anxiety-ridden child and would have spent years getting over that one... I wonder if end of the world fears are common with children. I had them. And my mom talks about being a Catholic school kid who was always watching the sky for signs of judgement day (the nuns were far to preoccupied with the salvation of souls to worry about the preservation of elementary school psyches).

    I like your space ship story though. It could be a great kids' book (very popular at bedtime?)

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  52. I can't believe you mentioned Santa Claus.....

    Wait...where the HELL have you been????

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  53. First, it's great to hear that your son is doing so well in school; congrats to both of you and him on that.

    Second, congrats to you on The Goddess Award; very well deserved!

    Third, they're not spaceships, they're arks. Stop telling the kids lies! ;-)

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  54. I am so glad that he is feeling so great about himself. That's how all kids should feel.


    xoxoxo

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  55. Yer a GENIUS!! Seriously. Did you take an extra dumb ass pill that morning or what? Never embark on THOSE kind of questions before bed time!!!

    Glad your kid is reading well. He'll be able to figure out the rest on his own now. ;)

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  56. LOL to be honest that sounds like something I would do...and regret.

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Come on, sailor. I love you long time.