by judyatlarge

Created on: May 31, 2008   Last Updated: June 01, 2008

Through the Eyes of a Little Boy

On a long trip across the Prairies of Canada: "Mommy, I'm tried of looking at grass and sticks."

"What grass and sticks, Bri?"

"All that green stuff out there. And those sticks with string between them."

He was seeing growing wheat fields in Saskatchewan and skinny, tilted telephone and power poles. This initiated a long conversation about where bread comes from, and how electricity moves through cables and makes lights and stoves and televisions work. An educational opportunity every parent and child should share.

On that same long trip:

"Mommy, know what? I can see my jigsaw puzzle better in here than out in the front under the blue tarp, 'cause even when it's raining, it's sunny in the tent."

What a wonderful observation for a little child to make. Many thanks to the manufacturer of orange nylon tents for giving a small boy that moment of insight into the reality of life. Rain doesn't always have be a drag on a camping trip, and a even a sky-blue tarp doesn't emulate blue sky. This led to yet another discussion of what different colors can do to make even very small aspects of life appear changed, sometimes better, sometimes worse, sometimes just about the same but with a subtle difference. "Like when you wear your green sweater, your eyes look greener, huh, Mom?" Who knew a four-year-old noticed things like that?

"When will my arms get black hair on them like Daddy's?"

"Maybe never. Look at Mommy's arms. No black hair. You and Mommy have red hair. Daddy has dark hair."

"But I'm half of Daddy and half of you. Why don't I have black hair on one side and red hair on the other?" This led to a discussion of basic genetics, on a level a four-year-old could deal with. More or less. It was also a level pretty much beyond Mommy & Daddy, but we tried. We never would have guessed that a cross-country trip could be such an educational opportunity. No counting blue Chevs for us. No looking for different colors of license plates, no playing I-Spy. Just one strange discussion leading to another.

"Daddy, how come your hands go all the way around the steering wheel and mine don't?"

"Because mine are bigger. I have grown-up hands. You have kid hands."

"When Mommy's a grown-up will her hands go all the way around the steering wheel too?"

"Mommy is a grown-up. She's just not as big as Daddy. When you're a man, your hands will be bigger than hers."

Silence for a moment, then, "But I gotta eat my carrots, right?" which brought on a discussion of the value of

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