Categories. Epsilon is really struggling with categories.
"Hot dog means sausage?"
"No, a hot dog is a type of sausage, but there are other types of sausage."
Epsilon, in his continued love of all things scary, is trying to figure out the difference between Dragons, and Demons and Giants and Monsters.
"Dragon means monster?"
"Giant means monster?"
"What's a monster?"
My partner, brilliant man that he is, pulled out our Monster Manuals, and pointed out different monsters and what they are called.
Epsilon, my sweet little boy, of course, wanted him to read ALL of it. They compromised on reading the "nice dragon book" for bedtime.
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Whatever his confusion with categories, 3 year olds are really good at pattern recognition.
"Why do all the babies go out with their Mommies and not their Daddies?" Epsilon asked my partner when a string of women pushing baby carriages got onto the bus.
When my partner told me this, it struck me that I think I've seen one man pushing an under 2 in a stroller while not in the company of a woman in His Town. It's rare in My City, but not as shockingly rare. Biased sample, but it's what I have.
"Um, because sometimes they think they Daddies don't know how to be Daddies, so they go out with the Mommies instead," my partner stammered out.
Before this offends anyone, I should point out that "being a Daddy" in this context means what Epsilon knows his Daddy to be: The same as a mommy, but the nipples are harder to tweak. Also, Daddies are hairier and bigger.
As in the world of three year olds, questions tend to repeat themselves. We're trying to come up with a better answer for him next time he asks. We are open to suggestions.
"Hot dog means sausage?"
"No, a hot dog is a type of sausage, but there are other types of sausage."
Epsilon, in his continued love of all things scary, is trying to figure out the difference between Dragons, and Demons and Giants and Monsters.
"Dragon means monster?"
"Giant means monster?"
"What's a monster?"
My partner, brilliant man that he is, pulled out our Monster Manuals, and pointed out different monsters and what they are called.
Epsilon, my sweet little boy, of course, wanted him to read ALL of it. They compromised on reading the "nice dragon book" for bedtime.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Whatever his confusion with categories, 3 year olds are really good at pattern recognition.
"Why do all the babies go out with their Mommies and not their Daddies?" Epsilon asked my partner when a string of women pushing baby carriages got onto the bus.
When my partner told me this, it struck me that I think I've seen one man pushing an under 2 in a stroller while not in the company of a woman in His Town. It's rare in My City, but not as shockingly rare. Biased sample, but it's what I have.
"Um, because sometimes they think they Daddies don't know how to be Daddies, so they go out with the Mommies instead," my partner stammered out.
Before this offends anyone, I should point out that "being a Daddy" in this context means what Epsilon knows his Daddy to be: The same as a mommy, but the nipples are harder to tweak. Also, Daddies are hairier and bigger.
As in the world of three year olds, questions tend to repeat themselves. We're trying to come up with a better answer for him next time he asks. We are open to suggestions.
hm, it's a little tough that one.... maybe pointing out that Epsilon only sees Mommys with babies but that doesn't mean there aren't Daddys there. something to the effect that "things exist even if we don't see them first hand"?
ReplyDeleteOr say something that "here, that is what works for many. It's different other places"? Idon't know.... I know that my partner was shocked when we visited Sweden in summer and he saw all these "daddys pulling prams and hanging out in groups just Dads and babies" ('paid paternaty leave' cough)