'Circle all the things you can eat for a snack!' were the instructions on Kyle's worksheet. The options were: a camera, candy, birthday cake, toys, an ice cream cone, and a piñata.
Kyle quickly circled the candy, the cake, and the ice cream cone. Then he looked at me and said, "But can't you eat what's inside the piñata, Mom? Should I circle that one?"
I replied, "Good thinking, Kyle. That one is kind of tricky, isn't it? I guess you could go either way on that one. You can't eat the actual piñata, but you can eat what's inside."
Now, why on Earth would they give such an ambiguous choice to a small child? It's a freaking Dora the Explorer coloring book! They obviously don't know my son. My little perfectionist. This sweet little boy who is now going to agonize over whether or not to circle the piñata. This child who is so much like me in that way. (Can you tell I was agonizing over what to tell him? 'Circle the piñata. No, don't circle it. Maybe circle it in a different color to qualify that you can't eat it for a snack the way it is. Or just asterisk it, and write a little note at the bottom of the page that you could eat what's inside the piñata.' It was stressing me out.)
Oh, I have news for you, Kyle. It will only get worse. As you get older it's only going to get harder to figure out what the right answer is. Sometimes there is no right answer--just the answer someone wants to hear. And there is no end to the trick questions you'll be asked. It's going to be a hard lesson to learn, but I really don't know why Dora wants to drop it on you at the tender age of four.
1 comment:
Yes, Kyle, you are definitely your mother's child! (and, Bets, I would go with the asterisk and note at the bottom thing - you can never have enough documentation!) Maybe Like Mother, Like Daughter, Like Grandson . . . xxxxxooooo
Post a Comment