How Children Learn About the World

[ashnistrike]

(Bobby is sitting on S's lap at the computer desk.)
Bobby: What's that?
S: It's a shoggoth. (She takes it down for him.)
Bobby: It has lots of eyes.
S: Yes, it does.
Bobby: It has lots of mouths.
S: That's right.
Bobby: It's a good shoggoth! (Pets the shoggoth gently, as he has been taught to do with the cats.)


We also had a conversation about families:

Bobby: Becca has a Daddy and a Papa.
S: That's right.
Bobby: Bobby has a Papa?
Me: No--Bobby has a Daddy and a Mommy and... how many Mamas?
Bobby: Both Mamas!
Me: Right, two Mamas.
Bobby: Aunt Becca has a Daddy and a Papa.
S: No, Aunt Becca has a Mommy and a Daddy, and they're Mama Thanna's Mommy and Daddy too.
Me: Everyone has parents, but they have different kinds of parents.

For the people who claim that having to explain my family will upset and confuse their kids, I'd like to point out that the distinction between the 3 or 4 Rebeccas he knows was the only part that seriously befuddled him.

Comments

[almeda.livejournal.com]

My nieces refer to all their grandparents as "Yia yia" and "Papou" (Greek). With no disambiguation. Mind, they're rarely all in town at once, but STILL! I at least tagged 'grandma' and 'grandpa' with the relevant last names, as a kid ...

[acelightning.livejournal.com]