May 9, 2013  |  2:08pm
More About Sex
[Scene: I have disabled internet access on his iPod Touch, but Luke, age 8, still has plenty of apps. One of them is the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, which I was using to look up a word...]
Me: "Hey Luke? What are all these words under 'recent searches'?"
Luke: "What do you mean?"
Me: "Well, there's 'sex' and 'sex act' and 'sex symbol'... looks like a couple of dozen words related to sex."
Luke: [acting alarmed] "I don't know! I didn't look those up!"
Me: "Hmmm... except for me once in awhile, you're the only one who uses this."
Luke: "I didn't do it! It wasn't me! I think s-e-x is disgusting!"
Me: [puts down the device] "Look. You're not in trouble. I just want you to know that if you ever have any questions about sex, you can talk to me or Mom, okay? The only way you will get in trouble right now is if you lie to me, and then you'll only be in trouble for lying, not for using a dictionary."
Luke: "But why are all those words in the dictionary? They're gross!"
Me: "It's a dictionary. Its job is to explain what words mean, and all those are real words that people use."
Luke: [taking a deep breath] "Okay. I did read all those words. But none of them explained anything I wanted."
Me: "What do you mean?"
Luke: "I was reading all those definitions because I was hoping one of them would explain why the whole world is so interested in sex! I don't understand it! Sex is gross! And kids at school are always talking about sex even though they totally don't understand it. And there's magazine covers and people having sex in movies and all of it. But none of the definitions said anything about WHY people like sex! It's all about HOW and WHAT and stuff."
Me: "Well... the simple answer is that our brains change as you get older and you find sex more interesting."
Luke: "My brain is going to change?"
Me: "Yeah. Lots of things change in your body as you get older, including your brain."
Luke: "And then it will make sense to me why everyone is interested in sex?"
Me: "Basically."
Luke: "Does this happen to girls too?"
Me: "Yes."
Luke: "So is it one of those things that doesn't make any sense from the outside, but once you're in it, it makes a lot of sense?"
Me: "I won't promise you that it will always makes sense, but it will make a lot more sense, I think."
Luke: "Man, life is weird."
URL: http://tmblr.co/ZJZiexkbheqB   |  SHARE:
Filed under: sex sex education brains age boys child children childhood parents parenting parenthood development child development dads fathers fathering fatherhood sex act sex symbol sense gross
May 7, 2013  |  9:14am

I apologize for sharing this commercial for a British drink product, but the ending actually got to me. Nicely done, Robinsons.

URL: http://tmblr.co/ZJZiexkRScYB   |  SHARE:
Filed under: video drink robinsons british britain uk dads fathers fathering fatherhood parents parenting parenthood child children childhood kids boys relationships ads commercial
May 1, 2013  |  9:42am
Luke: [age 8] "There's the girl next door."
Me: "Girl?"
Luke: "See? Over there by the dog?"
Me: "Yeah, she lives next door, but she's older than your grandmother."
Luke: [shrugs] "So she's an old girl!"
URL: http://tmblr.co/ZJZiexjzzTX2   |  SHARE:
Filed under: girl girls names kids boys child children childhood parents parenting parenthood neighbors dads fathers fathering fatherhood
April 29, 2013  |  5:22am
Beth: [age 4] "I think you're trying to trick me."
Luke: [age 8] "Me? Why would I try to trick you?"
Beth: "Because you're Luke."
Luke: "I'm your brother! I would never try to trick you."
Beth: "Oh yes you would."
Luke: "Have I ever tried to trick you before?"
Beth: "Yes. A lot."
Luke: "I can't believe you are telling me this. This really hurts my feelings."
Beth: "I'm just telling the truth."
Luke: "I can't believe you don't trust me. Mom, did your brother ever try to trick you when you were kids?"
Mom: "Yes, all the time."
Luke: "YOU ARE NOT HELPING."
Beth: "You're a tricky one, mister!"
URL: http://tmblr.co/ZJZiexjohN1t   |  SHARE:
Filed under: trick tricky honest truth siblings brothers sisters kids child children childhood girls boys dads fathers fatherhood fathering mothers motherhood mothering moms parents parenting parenthood
April 10, 2013  |  3:52pm
Holy Japanese Erasers, Batman. My son had saved up allowance to buy a random bulk assortment of 80+ Iwako erasers on eBay. They just arrived. Some are puzzle erasers, others are pencil toppers. A few are indecipherable objects and may require consultation with friends who understand Japanese culture more than we do. My wife thinks it was a waste of money, and even though I think they’re cool, I tend to agree. The boy is happy, though. Certainly, 80 erasers for under $40 was a better deal than the $1-$2 apiece you see in stores. I expect plenty of them will become gifts for upcoming birthday parties for his peers….

Holy Japanese Erasers, Batman.

My son had saved up allowance to buy a random bulk assortment of 80+ Iwako erasers on eBay. They just arrived. Some are puzzle erasers, others are pencil toppers. A few are indecipherable objects and may require consultation with friends who understand Japanese culture more than we do.

My wife thinks it was a waste of money, and even though I think they’re cool, I tend to agree. The boy is happy, though. Certainly, 80 erasers for under $40 was a better deal than the $1-$2 apiece you see in stores. I expect plenty of them will become gifts for upcoming birthday parties for his peers….

URL: http://tmblr.co/ZJZiexiNVpKR   |  SHARE:
Filed under: iwako erasers japan japanese toys ebay culture random dads kids boys allowance
April 10, 2013  |  4:48am
[Scene: Beth, age 4, is taking a bath with two toys -- a mermaid and a dinosaur]
Beth: [holding up dinosaur] "Daddy, make the dinosaur talk to me."
Me: "Okay." [prepares to use gravelly voice]
Dinosaur: "Hello!"
Beth: "Hello Amy!"
Me: "'Amy'? The dinosaur is a girl?"
Beth: "Of COURSE, Daddy."
Dinosaur: "What's your name, little girl?"
Beth: "My name is Beth! How are you today?"
Dinosaur: "I'm feeling a little hungry. Do you have anything to eat? How about the mermaid?"
Beth: "No, you don't want to eat the mermaid. She's a toy! She will just taste like plastic."
Dinosaur: "How about a small child? You might be yummy."
Beth: "Amy, you can't eat me. I am your owner. Toys never eat their owners. Even if they are hungry toy dinosaurs."
Dinosaur: "Hmm. Well, what am I supposed to eat? The soap? This washcloth?"
Beth: "You could eat my brother. I wouldn't miss him at all."
URL: http://tmblr.co/ZJZiexiLkDh1   |  SHARE:
Filed under: dinosaur brother sibling sister dino talk bath bathtime hungry eat mermaid toys kids girls boys child children childhood parents parenting parenthood dads fathers fathering fatherhood dinosaurs