Learning About Love
Monday, September 19, 2011
Little E has been teaching herself about love. Some she has worked out herself. This is along the lines of "I love you Mummy, Daddy, Miss H etc.." The rest she has extrapolated from watching a Barbie Fairy Princess Movie*. This was something along the lines of you get married to some one you love. The two sources of inspiration conspire to make some weird, but logical conclusions.
The conversation went like this:
"Mum, can two boys and two girls get married?"
Mum wondering where this is going.
"No, you can only get married to one person"
"Oh, Can two girls get married?"
Mum not wanting to get into the differences between civil unions and marriage or geopolitical boundaries and sexuality.
"If they want to"
"Oh, Can I get married to my sister?" Mum completely flummoxed on this one. Not ready to start that conversation.
"No"
In hindsight, I can think of many sage things to say, revolving around families, families joined by marriage etc. At the time however, I was both stumped and touched that Little E drew the conclusion that if you marry someone you love, of course she should marry her sister.
*Ok, we cut a deal in the video shop. I am not proud that this came home with us. To make it worse, it was a Barbie fairy princess wedding movie. Kind of like playing girly cliche bingo, without the ponies.
5 comments
(Am cracking up!) Fleur said to me in the weekend 'I want to be a Mum when I'm bigger'. 'I don't want to marry a boy'......'I want to marry jessica' (being har best buddy at kindy) I found my self thinking of the civil union also!!!! hehe
ReplyDeleteI volunteered at an art event this morning. Two of the judges were life partners and brought their adorable dog. Another judge brought her ten year old grandson. In the conversation about the dog being "theirs," the grandson asked if they were brothers. No. Well then what were they? Partners. But they live together? Yes. Okay! You could see the wheels turning in the boy's head, trying to figure out this relationship, and once he had it clarified to his satisfaction, he just moved on to something else.
ReplyDeleteWe've had similar conversations at our place. My youngest boy has told me more than once that he'd like to marry a man. It doesn't bother me too much either way but I love that it's so acceptable these days. I do want grandchildren though!
ReplyDeletehttp://growingkiwis.blogspot.com/2010/12/last-days-as-preschooler.html
I've just recently had a very similar conversation with my 3 year old about her two uncles. Yup the questions have started "who cooks the dinner" "who kisses them goodnight" - coz obviously if there is NO Mummy . . . bless our little people xxx
ReplyDeleteYou had me laughing out loud with this one. Esp comment about the Barbie flick. We too have had similar conversations - you just have to keep it simple at this stage huh.
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