Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Overheard at Table 2: Choices

"This whole new parenting style 'choices' thing just goes all through me.  The other day, there was this lady at the grocery store, and her little toddler was going for some can, and I hear this mom say, 'is that the best choice?' in that phony 'mom' voice and I'm thinking to myself, 'how the hell does this kid know if it's the best 'choice' or not - I mean give the kid a break!  He's 2 frikkin' years old!  All he knows is 'PRETTY COLORS"'

"I think the focus is to raise the children to think independently."

"But a two year old CAN'T think independently.  Look, being able to make a choice requires 2 things: information and reasoning.  You have to have enough information to be able to know there is a distinction between courses of action, and you have to have reasoning to know what might be the results of the action.  Look, if you and I go out to buy a house, we look can make a choice only when we know the price, the school system, the tax base, the commute, the inspectors reports."

"The mom wasn't asking the kid to buy a house.  She was asking him not to touch a can on a shelf."

"Then she should say 'don't touch that!'  Simple!  But don't give this BS that he has a 'choice'!  Look, that kid doesn't know what that can is.  He doesn't know if walking into the street is going to get him flattened by a car or if a pot of boiling water is going to burn his hand.  He can NOT make choices!"

"So glad our children are almost grown.  We don't have to deal with that."

"Until we get grandkids.  I can see Samantha buying into this.  I kid you not, honey, if Sam gives me this 'choices' crap I'm disowning her . . . but she can still bring the grandkids around."

"I'll let her know.  Sure she'll be right on board.  But be ready for her to text you saying that you're not making a very good choice."


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