Doomsday Scenarios
My friend Allison and I were talking last week about books that we'd recently bought for our children. I bought this
so the girls and I could make things like this
That would be slime...(And we actually didn't use the book to make this one - it came in a little mix packet that was from the same company as the book). Gracie had a blast with this stuff - it came with a color pellet and you were supposed to guess what color the slime was going to be - she correctly guessed yellow and was thrilled with herself. She loved mixing the ingredients together and when Abigail woke up from her nap, she couldn't wait to show it to her. Aunt Bronie called while we were playing with it and Gracie broke her golden rule of never talking on the phone to anyone older than ten and told Aunt Bronie all about the ewwy gooey slime.
So, that was the book that I bought for Gracie and Abigail. Allison found a fantastic book for her two girls (who are the same ages as my two) that answers some of the why questions that kids ask. She said that her oldest daughter has been asking all kinds of things like why the sky's blue and why does it rain and that the book had some great answers for those questions. My first thought was, wow, I need to find a book like that for Gracie. Later, though, as I was sitting in the car driving home with Gracie chattering behind me, I began to think that the book probably isn't going to answer the most prevalent questions that Gracie is asking these days. Because, Gracie, apparently, is only interested in asking questions about doomsday scenarios.
We were driving across this bridge on our trip last month and we were at the apex (140 feet above the water) and Gracie goes, "Hey, Mama! What happens if we drive off of the bridge and our car goes under the water? What will we do?" So, I tell her that someone would rescue us. "Well, what if there's no one around to rescue us - how will we get out of the car and what if the car keeps going down, down, down, down into the water?" By this point, my knuckles are white on the steering wheel (have I mentioned I'm not fond of bridges and I particuarly don't like this bridge). Finally, I have to show her the little tool I have in the front seat pocket that has a little thingamajig that will slice the seat belt and break the window glass and try and convince her that if we drive off of the bridge, I'll be able to use the tool to get us out and we'll swim to safety.
A few weeks ago, out of the blue, she says, "Hey, Mama! What would happen if I ran out into the street and a truck runned over my head and smooshed it?" What am I supposed to be say to stuff like this? On Sunday, we were driving to the lake and she says, "Hey, Daddy! What would happen if all the car windows exploded?" Steve thought she was asking why the wind was blowing on her face so he told her that the windows hadn't exploded, he'd just put them down. She said, "I know that, but what would happen if we were driving and the windows just exploded. What would happen to us?" Jimminy Crickets! I am at a loss as to what to tell her. I am sure that this is at least partially a monster of my own creation. I am a little concerned about safety (okay, everyone roll your eyes here and say, a little concerned? - woman you're obsessed) and I do say things to Gracie that I regret. I told her once that if she didn't brush her teeth, they'd all fall out and then she was horrified when she found out that her baby teeth were going to come out - "But, Mama, I brush my teeth EVERY DAY! They can't fall out." Ummm, oopps, maybe that wasn't the best thing to tell her. And I'm sure that the smooshed head scenario is because I tell her all the time to be careful about not running out into the street. So, I'm thinking that the Why book that Allison bought is not going to help me - do you know if there are any books out there for kids whose why and what questions seem to be more along the lines of Stephen King?
so the girls and I could make things like this
That would be slime...(And we actually didn't use the book to make this one - it came in a little mix packet that was from the same company as the book). Gracie had a blast with this stuff - it came with a color pellet and you were supposed to guess what color the slime was going to be - she correctly guessed yellow and was thrilled with herself. She loved mixing the ingredients together and when Abigail woke up from her nap, she couldn't wait to show it to her. Aunt Bronie called while we were playing with it and Gracie broke her golden rule of never talking on the phone to anyone older than ten and told Aunt Bronie all about the ewwy gooey slime.
So, that was the book that I bought for Gracie and Abigail. Allison found a fantastic book for her two girls (who are the same ages as my two) that answers some of the why questions that kids ask. She said that her oldest daughter has been asking all kinds of things like why the sky's blue and why does it rain and that the book had some great answers for those questions. My first thought was, wow, I need to find a book like that for Gracie. Later, though, as I was sitting in the car driving home with Gracie chattering behind me, I began to think that the book probably isn't going to answer the most prevalent questions that Gracie is asking these days. Because, Gracie, apparently, is only interested in asking questions about doomsday scenarios.
We were driving across this bridge on our trip last month and we were at the apex (140 feet above the water) and Gracie goes, "Hey, Mama! What happens if we drive off of the bridge and our car goes under the water? What will we do?" So, I tell her that someone would rescue us. "Well, what if there's no one around to rescue us - how will we get out of the car and what if the car keeps going down, down, down, down into the water?" By this point, my knuckles are white on the steering wheel (have I mentioned I'm not fond of bridges and I particuarly don't like this bridge). Finally, I have to show her the little tool I have in the front seat pocket that has a little thingamajig that will slice the seat belt and break the window glass and try and convince her that if we drive off of the bridge, I'll be able to use the tool to get us out and we'll swim to safety.
A few weeks ago, out of the blue, she says, "Hey, Mama! What would happen if I ran out into the street and a truck runned over my head and smooshed it?" What am I supposed to be say to stuff like this? On Sunday, we were driving to the lake and she says, "Hey, Daddy! What would happen if all the car windows exploded?" Steve thought she was asking why the wind was blowing on her face so he told her that the windows hadn't exploded, he'd just put them down. She said, "I know that, but what would happen if we were driving and the windows just exploded. What would happen to us?" Jimminy Crickets! I am at a loss as to what to tell her. I am sure that this is at least partially a monster of my own creation. I am a little concerned about safety (okay, everyone roll your eyes here and say, a little concerned? - woman you're obsessed) and I do say things to Gracie that I regret. I told her once that if she didn't brush her teeth, they'd all fall out and then she was horrified when she found out that her baby teeth were going to come out - "But, Mama, I brush my teeth EVERY DAY! They can't fall out." Ummm, oopps, maybe that wasn't the best thing to tell her. And I'm sure that the smooshed head scenario is because I tell her all the time to be careful about not running out into the street. So, I'm thinking that the Why book that Allison bought is not going to help me - do you know if there are any books out there for kids whose why and what questions seem to be more along the lines of Stephen King?
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