Backseat discussions
Most mornings of the week, I drive my daughter and younger son to school. During that drive, I’m privy to the inner workings of childhood dynamics. For me, it’s like fieldwork in cultural anthropology. Here’s a verbatim transcript of an exchange between 6-year-old Dietrich and 10-year-old Emma. And no, I don’t know why this was such an important and compelling topic of discussion.
Dietrich: You know what’s really gross? Boys that sit down to pee. Girls sit down to pee.
Emma: I know.
Dietrich: Boys pee standing up. Girls sit down. Girls pee out of their butt.
Emma: No, they don’t.
Dietrich: Yes they do.
Emma: No, they don’t.
Dietrich: How do you know?
Emma: Because I’m a girl, dumbhead!
Silence ensued.
More on this later as the situation develops.