A mother of boys learns as she goes

Posts tagged ‘kids’

Booster Seat Wisdom: Who Made God?

Chris had an episode of Booster Seat Wisdom tonight. Liam and Alexander got into a heated debate about GOD of all things. I think Liam is a budding atheist, which kind of sucks for me, his intensely spiritual, though nontraditional mom. Here’s how the conversation went…

Liam was quizzing Alexander on his knowledge of the origins of the earth and the universe, and was getting frustrated by Alexander’s take:

Liam: so who made the world?
Lex: God made the world.
Liam: NO! the matter in the stars cooled and made the planets!
Lex: God made the world.
Liam: NO! God can NOT just POOF and make the world in seven days!
That makes no sense.
Lex: But God made the world!
Liam: who made the universe?
Lex: God.
Liam: NO!!! God didn’t even exist! God can’t create Himself!
Lex: God made everything.
Liam: NO!!! God did NOT make everything! The stars made the planets! The Big Bang made the universe! You just believe everything that school teaches you!
Alexander, of course, could care less about Liam’s opinion. Anyway, the conversation comes to its natural conclusion as we end up at the pizza parlor and more important issues like video games appear….

Category:

Uncategorized

Tagged with:

Booster Seat Wisdom: “Girls’ Lives are Harder Than Boys ‘Lives” —

photo credit, Photodune

Today,  I start a series of posts that I will update as they happen, called,  “Booster Seat Wisdom.”

I don’t know about your kids, but mine are often more relaxed, receptive and talkative when strapped in the back. We have good conversations, and because
they are not forced to have eye contact with you, they talk more freely. Meanwhile, the sneaky parent driver can check out their true emotions through the rearview mirror.

I have a friend who uses this tactic all the time when she needs to pull information from her 6th grade daughter. All of a sudden they have to visit the Justice clothing store 40 minutes away, not the one at the local mall.

A few days ago, Liam said loudly, out of the blue, that girls’ lives were harder than boys lives. I asked where this idea came from and he said because they have to do their hair and dress up all nice and they have to go through a lot of pain to have babies.

I was reminded of this today because his little brother repeated it, and I asked why he thought that. “Because Liam said it. He’s always right.” Ahhh, brother hero worship.

I can’t disagree with that theory, but it seems in some ways boys have a harder time because they have to be strong AND sensitive, they get bullied for liking beautiful things sometimes,
and they can’t show emotion like a girl as much. Even in today’s geek hero, sensitive male media culture, what is valued by people in their 20s, 30s and maybe even 40s, is still seen as wimpy somehow on the playground of my son’s school.

See, Liam will someday be that Starbucks-drinking, computer geek, science nut who loves his family, thinks ballet and art are beautiful, and raves about meteors. Although he has many friends, he has some lonely weekends because although we have tried soccer, baseball, karate and gymnastics, none of it is a passion–He does gymnastics once a week for his health, but honestly, give him old Carl Sagan videos from the library or a video game, and he’s happy.

Is he the coolest kid on the block? Not now. But watch out world. Here comes one cool, geeked-out adult.

Do you have any Booster Seat Wisdom to share?

Category:

Uncategorized

Tagged with: