Last week, as I stood on elementary school lawn enjoying the Back to School Night picnic, I was chatting up another mother, who also happens to be a dear friend, about our kids. We were talking the hilarious things kids say - some of them funny funny and some them embarrassing funny.
I was telling her all about Amos explaining “tongue lick kissing” to me the week before.
“It’s when you lick another person’s tongue,” he had told me one day as we were driving.
“Amos,” I responded, “That is for adults.”
Suddenly, Griffin piped in from the back seat. “Why is it just for adults?”
“Do YOU want to lick another person’s tongue?” I asked him.
“NO!”
Then, Amos smiles and says, “I do!”
My friend has a beautiful daughter Amos’s age and I was telling her to keep a close eye out.
She laughed and I added, “Of course, it’s better than Griffin explaining what transsexual meant to kid at Mommy’s Day Out.”
Oh yeah, this summer I was pulled aside by the director one day at pickup, who kindly reported my son had taught a lesson in the fluidity of sexuality to a bunch of six-year-olds. Even better? Griffin had then reportedly INFORMED another child that he was transsexual.
Sigh. Not one of my proudest moments. I believe in honesty with kids on all topics, but I forget how that can bite you in the butt when they spread that honesty to their peers.
That was when my friend dropped a SERIOUS piece of parenting wisdom on me. She has four kids, including one set of twins, so sister knows of which she speaks!
“Oh girl,” she laughed. “You ALWAYS tell them the big stuff on Friday or even better over the summer! That way it’s not fresh on their minds when they go back to school.”
My jaw dropped! GENIUS!
That is the kind of boots-on-the-ground parenting advice we all need. Forget vague admonitions to “praise…but not too much!” or “teach empathy!”
Time your big talks so they don’t blab to their friends and embarrass you in front of teachers and other parents!
THAT IS SERIOUSLY HELPFUL!
Have you ever received any seriously realistic and seriously helpful parenting advice?
