the time has come...
My 8 year old daughter came home from school and asked a very unnerving question. "Is it wrong to say the "F" word?" We have discovered that she may not always be thinking of the same word that starts with the letter "F" that we are, so we asked her what word she was talking about. "Frick", she said. We told her that we didn't want her saying that word. She then said, "Because it sounds like the other one?" We responded, "What other one?" She just looked at me and I could tell she knew, she just didn't want to say it out loud. So I spelled it out for her. She nodded her head. Heidi piped in and said, "That is the worst of all curse words." Kami just looked at us wondering how we were going to react.
Three nights ago, I was talking to Kami before bed. We were talking about our Family values. I gave her a few that came to my mind and then asked her if she would share some that came to mind. These were her top three...
1. Not lying.
2. Being a leader.
3. Not sticking up your middle finger.
Number three sort of caught me with my pants down. I wasn't expecting that to be in the top three. I didn't even think she knew what that gesture stood for. I, again, asked her what she thought that meant. Here was her response. (it was filled with dramatic pauses and voice inflections that sounded like a dramatic monologue for a speech competition.)
"Sticking up you middle finger is like saying all the curse words at the same time to someone."
Hmmm. Interesting.
I moved over to Aly's room and knelt by her bad. I began to tell her that I was just talking to Kami about Family values when she interupted and said, "I know dad, I was under her bed listening to you." (She has started to sneak to Kami's room on her knees crawling under her bed apparently to make sure I'm not sharing a closeness with Kami that she is not experiencing herself.) Since she was involved in that conversation already, I asked her what she thought our family values were. This was her immediate response...
1. Not lying.
2. Being a leader.
3. Not sticking up your middle finger.
I asked her what sticking up your middle finger signified...she couldn't remember. Wheww! Still a little shred of innocence left. I told her that she didn't need to know quite yet, but that she shouldn't do that because it isn't appropriate.
She then went on to tell me that one of her friends said a bad word and pointed to her collar bone and neck. I asked what that word was and she pointed to her chest. I said, "Sternum". She shook her head and lifted her shirt and pointed to both sides of her chest. I swallowed hard and said, "Boobies". She said, "NOOOO!" My heart sunk, I swallowed hard again and said in monotone, "Breasts". She nodded her head and said that she told the girl to not say that word ever again. My nostrils were flaring with inner laughter, and yet there was another part of my heart that was caving in with sadness. Lost innocence is one of the saddest realities of raising children.
Wow...middle fingers, F-words, Breasts...what's next?
I need to go purchase some hip waders today...we're going to be walking in some deep dodo in the days ahead I'm afraid.
God, protect my girl's hearts.
Three nights ago, I was talking to Kami before bed. We were talking about our Family values. I gave her a few that came to my mind and then asked her if she would share some that came to mind. These were her top three...
1. Not lying.
2. Being a leader.
3. Not sticking up your middle finger.
Number three sort of caught me with my pants down. I wasn't expecting that to be in the top three. I didn't even think she knew what that gesture stood for. I, again, asked her what she thought that meant. Here was her response. (it was filled with dramatic pauses and voice inflections that sounded like a dramatic monologue for a speech competition.)
"Sticking up you middle finger is like saying all the curse words at the same time to someone."
Hmmm. Interesting.
I moved over to Aly's room and knelt by her bad. I began to tell her that I was just talking to Kami about Family values when she interupted and said, "I know dad, I was under her bed listening to you." (She has started to sneak to Kami's room on her knees crawling under her bed apparently to make sure I'm not sharing a closeness with Kami that she is not experiencing herself.) Since she was involved in that conversation already, I asked her what she thought our family values were. This was her immediate response...
1. Not lying.
2. Being a leader.
3. Not sticking up your middle finger.
I asked her what sticking up your middle finger signified...she couldn't remember. Wheww! Still a little shred of innocence left. I told her that she didn't need to know quite yet, but that she shouldn't do that because it isn't appropriate.
She then went on to tell me that one of her friends said a bad word and pointed to her collar bone and neck. I asked what that word was and she pointed to her chest. I said, "Sternum". She shook her head and lifted her shirt and pointed to both sides of her chest. I swallowed hard and said, "Boobies". She said, "NOOOO!" My heart sunk, I swallowed hard again and said in monotone, "Breasts". She nodded her head and said that she told the girl to not say that word ever again. My nostrils were flaring with inner laughter, and yet there was another part of my heart that was caving in with sadness. Lost innocence is one of the saddest realities of raising children.
Wow...middle fingers, F-words, Breasts...what's next?
I need to go purchase some hip waders today...we're going to be walking in some deep dodo in the days ahead I'm afraid.
God, protect my girl's hearts.
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