Ever try to explain geological time to a 3 year old?
Soph, like many preschoolers, digs the dinosaurs. We've talked in the past about how dinosaurs are not around anymore--how they were alive a long long time ago. Of course, to a 3 year old, a long long time is how long ago Christmas was.
So--we were looking at a dinosaur book that had some pictures of dinosaur bones in a museum. Also of note, we took Sophie and Janzen to the dinosaur museum a few months ago. Soph began to explain to me how the dinosaurs all died in museums (convenient--eh) and then the people took their skin off and their guts out and hung them up with ropes. She was very confident that she had figured the whole dinosaur thing out.
I tried to explain to her that the dinosaurs lived a REALLY long time ago. Before Disneyland. Before cars. Before people even. She didn't buy that for a minute. Before people? Whatever mom. I'll stick with the dinosaur skin peeling thanks. You're nuts.
Kind of tricky. The origins of life on the planet and the universe and everything. I guess I could have told her God did it, but I have a feeling she would have found that as ridiculous as the "before people" bit.
I've decided that folks began religions and mythologies because they needed something to say when their kids asked them questions. "Mom, why are their wieners?" "Mom, when will I be big?" "Mom, who made words?" I need a better answer than--"Umm."
3 comments:
WOW! Before Disneyland?
It would be a hell of a lot easier to answer "Because God made it so" to every question. Hmmm. You might have just converted me.
well, why ARE there weiners?
Yeah, Liv has been in a very existentially inquisitive mode lately, and completely unwilling to take "I don't know" for an answer. Love trying to explain why if she goes to heaven to see her old fish Jador she won't be able to come back while I'm folding laundry and writing up a chore list in my head.
Gotta love the requests for definitions, too. "What does "for" mean?" Fucked if I know, my love. Ask Webster.
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