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Friday, February 16, 2007

The Big Questions

Even before I became a parent, I knew that when kids ask difficult questions it tends to be at the most inconvenient times. I also have heard that when a child asks you a question that you don't know how to answer or when it is isn't the best time to answer you should say "That's a great question. I'm happy to discuss it with you, but we'll need to talk about it later." Then if the conversation is embarrassing or uncomfortable, you should proceed in the car so that you and your child do not have to make eye contact. Preferably your child should be in the back seat (assuming that they're over 12 and aren't barred from the front seat for safety reasons) while you are up front presumably driving, because I guess you could just be sitting in your driveway although adding extra strangeness to an already uncomfortable conversation probably isn't the best plan.

I had also heard that when they ask you difficult questions, you should give short concise answers and give longer answers as they ask more specific questions. Anyhow, with all this in mind, I had worked out a plan. When my older son (OS) asked me a big question, I was going to be the tender mom who leans down, brushes the hair off his forehead and either answers the question right then and there or tells him how smart he is to come up with the question and answer it later. I thought I was completely covered until today. One small problem though: I had assumed that questions were either easy to answer or difficult and sometimes embarrassing.

I was rushing about trying to get lunch ready, finish feeding the baby, and doing a million and one other things at the same time. (Okay, maybe only a few other things like answering the phone and cleaning up spills all in a timely fashion because we had somewhere to be in a short while, but still...) I heard OS, who was supposed to be sitting down at the table eating his lunch, chattering away and then realized he was asking me a question.

OS: (While opening up the dog food container that's near the table) "I'm feeding Gandalf lunch."
AE: Gandalf doesn't eat lunch.
OS: Why?
AE: Because dogs don't eat lunch. Put the cover back on the container and finish your own lunch please.
OS: Why don't dogs eat lunch?
AE: Well, that's a good question. I guess technically there's no reason that dogs can't eat lunch. Dogs typically consume a set amount of dog food every day and owners can choose how it's broken up. Some owners choose to break it up into breakfast and dinner and some choose to just give one meal a day. The amount overall is the same so really there's no reason why the total amount couldn't be broken into 3 meals. (OS looks completely baffled, as if I've just sprouted two heads.) Because dogs just don't eat lunch; only people do.
OS: Okay, mommy.

As it turns out, however, I was misinformed. Not only do some dogs eat lunch, but I had apparently given Gandalf lunch (albeit a very early lunch) this very morning. My husband had left for work particularly early, and Gandalf had unusually slept downstairs. He therefore had time to sneak over to the dog dish, snarf breakfast, and then return to the couch before I came downstairs. I assumed he had not been fed and gave him a second meal at 6am.

A. Elliot's Lesson Learned: Dogs are not supposed to eat lunch, but they will try to trick you into feeding them extra meals if they can.

Labels: , ,

posted by Alex Elliot @ 7:41 PM   2 comments
2 Comments:

  • At 2/17/2007 10:56 AM, Blogger super des said…

    I like how you make us think this will be about OS asking where babies come from or something, then the lesson is about dogs. That cracked me up and I learned something too.
    :)

     

  • At 2/18/2007 10:20 PM, Anonymous happy and blue 2 said…

    Kids ask the most difficult questions. That's why I don't have a dog. Not having to answer dog related questions has saved me hours each day ha,ha..

     
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Name:Alex Elliot
Home:MA, United States
About Me:Professional Mom of two cats, a dog, an ant farm, and oh yeah...two boys: a 6 year old and a 3 year old. Also found in my house is my husband who is known on this blog as The Big Giraffe.
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