Two Short Stories About the Mermaid Girl
1. She had this "All About Me" project for school, in which she had to collect a bunch of things that "symbolized" her as a person and explain her connection to them in detail on index cards. This took days and days and occasioned much drama, of the "I don't knooooow what to doooooo, it's too haaaard" variety. And she only wrote like one brief sentence on each card. Some of them were pretty...enigmatic. So I was going over it with her and trying VERY VERY HARD (and with only moderate success) not to be a helicopter parent and tell her what to write.
One item she included was a beloved sparkly sequinny too-small shirt, along with a card that read, in its entirety, "I chose this shirt because it reminds me of my old school and of my Uncle Skaterboy."
Me: So...the shirt reminds you of your old school?
MG: Yes. Because one time I was wearing it and I bit one of the sequins right off. And that was at my old school. So every time I look at it, I think of my old school.
Me: That's a great story! I bet the kids in your class would love to hear that story!
MG: And you know why it reminds me of Uncle Skaterboy. [He gave it to her.]
Me: Sure. But your classmates won't.
*pause*
Me: Don't you want to write on your card that...
MG: NO.
2. MG was having her bath, and I was rinsing off her hair, and she was not happy.
MG: *whining like a kid much younger than 8* I want my maaaamaaaa!
Me: Yeah, I know. But I'm the one who's here, so there we are.
*pause*
Me: So...what do you say when you're with Mama, and she does something you don't like?
MG: *with matter-of-fact equanimity* I say, I want my mommy!
Me: Huh. So, what do you say when we're both there and do something that makes you mad?
MG: *quite cheerful now* I say, I wish I didn't have any parents!
Me: And what about when you're with someone else, and we're not around?
MG: *positively chipper* Then I say, I want my moms! I want my Mommy, or I want my Mama. Whichever I think of first.
One item she included was a beloved sparkly sequinny too-small shirt, along with a card that read, in its entirety, "I chose this shirt because it reminds me of my old school and of my Uncle Skaterboy."
Me: So...the shirt reminds you of your old school?
MG: Yes. Because one time I was wearing it and I bit one of the sequins right off. And that was at my old school. So every time I look at it, I think of my old school.
Me: That's a great story! I bet the kids in your class would love to hear that story!
MG: And you know why it reminds me of Uncle Skaterboy. [He gave it to her.]
Me: Sure. But your classmates won't.
*pause*
Me: Don't you want to write on your card that...
MG: NO.
2. MG was having her bath, and I was rinsing off her hair, and she was not happy.
MG: *whining like a kid much younger than 8* I want my maaaamaaaa!
Me: Yeah, I know. But I'm the one who's here, so there we are.
*pause*
Me: So...what do you say when you're with Mama, and she does something you don't like?
MG: *with matter-of-fact equanimity* I say, I want my mommy!
Me: Huh. So, what do you say when we're both there and do something that makes you mad?
MG: *quite cheerful now* I say, I wish I didn't have any parents!
Me: And what about when you're with someone else, and we're not around?
MG: *positively chipper* Then I say, I want my moms! I want my Mommy, or I want my Mama. Whichever I think of first.
posted by elswhere | 12:06 AM
5 Comments:
Wahaha! That child of yours is a match for anything that comes her way, I'm sure!
What's up with the blog graphics? Is it my browser or are the colors all messed up?
That is too, too, funny, and I can totally see my own kid thinking all the same things, with a few "I want my cat!!"s thrown in for good measure.
The only thing missing is the part where the child says "But [insert other parent her] SAID I don't have to do this [horrible unspecified activity which one is forcing upon said child]!!!" I wish we lived closer so MG could hang out with my kids and they could trade battle plans....
She's a classic!
Post a Comment
<< Home