Words are powerful. If you've been following my holiday saga, you know that of my five children, one broke out with chicken pox 2 weeks ago (my 9 yr. old daughter). My older two children had already had the pox as infants, and three were my little holdouts. Now my youngest child, who is seven, is sprouting pox all over the place. They started out slowly... and I knew something was wrong with my boy. He just wasn't acting himself. Now he's in full poxy bloom, and amazingly not too itchy yet.
Last night, as I was tucking my poxy seven year old into bed, I said, "Well, tomorrow you'll really be popping with chicken pox."
His response: "I'm gonna POP????" I could hear the fear in his voice. Oh - man, do I ever make some stupid mom comments at times. I said, "No honey. What I meant to say was that you will be having more little poxies tomorrow. You are not going to pop."
Sheeeeeeeeesh. My poor boy probably had the most awful moment there, thinking he was going to explode. You'd think I'd know by now that little children think in concrete, literal terms.
I team-teach our five through seven year-olds at church, for Sunday School. We've been using this fabulous curriculum by Children Desiring God called the ABCs of God. Well, my letter for the day was T for Trinity. The lesson was great - the teaching solid theologically. I really thought the kids were "getting it", as much as anyone could understand the trinity. Right before the kids were dismissed, I asked them, "How many Gods are there?" and half the class shouted, "Three!". I shouted, "No! Remember there is only one God *big smile* " Ugh.
Concrete, literal thinking again. I just hope that the parents realize I'm not teaching a polytheistic Sunday School class. They might pop!
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