Yesterday my son Hunter asked me if we could go to Canada. Now, although I was proud and had a mini patriotic moment about the fact that he had chosen Canada of all places to ask to go, I was also completely puzzled as to how I was going to explain the concept of geography to him. The idea that we live in a huge land space that comprises of cities and towns and that the world was filled with other such places was an idea too abstract for some of the 12 year olds I teach geography to (I’d like to say I’m kidding, ,but I’m not.) So, to make it easy I just said, “We already live in Canada, Honey.” He just gave me this blank look and responded, “I don’t get it.” The conversation that ensued went way over his head, and no amount of kid talk could have saved the situation.
When you have moments like this, you begin to remember that your kids are just that, kids. As soon as they can walk, talk, butter their own toast, and get themselves dressed, we hold them to these mental standards that they are incapable of understanding. We expect them to be able to be quiet in church, walk nice in the mall, restrain themselves in the grocery store and to never put anything in their mouthes at the clinic, and we can sometimes lose our patience with them. I find myself saying the words, “I’ve told you this, time and time again,” a lot, when even I know that that sentence means nothing to them.
I have to make a concerted effort everyday to remind myself that Hunter is not even a little boy yet and that I should cut him some slack. Questions like the one above bring me back down to earth, and thank God for that. Without his adorable little questions, I’d probably miss this, the most beautiful time of his life. After all, I’ve got boys, and they wont let me snuggle them for long!
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