If there’s one thing that your children will quickly take from you, it is your ego. They are straight shooters who tell it like it is, and even if they don’t always understand what they are saying, you can be sure that when you have a conversation with a child, it will be stripped of pretense and social niceties. Sure, they may throw in a “please” or a “thank you,” but be warned; children are very blunt.
The other day we were all riding in the car together when a commercial came on the radio. It said “Attention women with a muffin top: do you need to lose at least 40 pounds? Then call today for a free trial of…” Ruby then said “Mama, do you think you should call them? Do you need that?”
Two days ago I had just gotten out of the shower, which was my children’s cue to barge in and harass me. As I was trying to dry myself off, Edward took a baby hairbrush and started brushing me with it. Ruby, ever the helpful one, told him “Edward, try brushing up on his back. There’s more hair there!”
I have been told over and over again by my children that I am fat, old, hairy, bald, smelly, and gross. They call ’em like they see ’em, and the worst part is, I generally cannot disagree with them, because they are usually right. It is very humbling to have children. The only consolation we have is that when it gets to be too much, we can always turn their powers of observation onto people even older and crumblier than we are. Their grandmothers.
Love it.