kids are freaky

[rm]

On the bus today a woman is talking to her 5 or 6 year-old-child with glasses. I feel impelled to note that both the woman and child are dressed in bright, summery clothes. There is nothing about them that says, "OMG, third cousins to Snape and/or the Addams Family." Wow, I can't believe I just typed that sentence.

Anyway, mom is speaking to the child who has just declared that she hates someone.

"Hate is too strong a word. You mustn't hate people."

"But I do hate her!"

"Well, you can deplore her, instead."

"De-plore?" the kid asks, trying it out.

The mother nods frantically, in some sort of bizarre relief. "Or detest. You can even deride."

"De-plore. De-test! and de-ride?"

"Yes!" the mother chirps, triumphant. "Deplore is when, well you don't like the way someone is being, you can deplore them."

"Deplore," the child repeates more confidently.

"And detest is like when you really really don't like a food."

"You mean I hate it!"

"Well, yes, you detest it."

"Okay. Deplore. Detest."

"Deride, that's what you do when you deplore and detest."

"How?"

"You could say, "I deride your ideas,"" the mother offers.

"I deride you!" the child exclaims. "Deplore. Detest. Deride."


IT WAS THE AWESOME.

Comments

HILARIOUS!

[ladyofthelog.livejournal.com]

Man, I can't stop giggling.

I want this woman to be MY mom.

[heron61.livejournal.com]

I find children to be impressively alien beings who I wish to avoid, but I still find this exchange to be marvelous. Definitely someone (unlike so many others) who is an impressive and thoughtful parent. Wow.

[winterknight.livejournal.com]

that's marvelous. *applauds* i love it. that made my evening.

[trifles.livejournal.com]

OMG YES.

[fragiletender.livejournal.com]

Superb.

[nobodyreally.livejournal.com]

i needed this

[feyandstrange.livejournal.com]

I now have a small gang of Gorey-esque children in my head chanting "Deplore! Detest! Deride!" a la Captain Hook in the recent movie. I think they are circling a piece of broccoli while chanting and pointing.

Thank you. And yay for that mom.

[quietish.livejournal.com]

She's raising what will be a very cool kid :D

FABulous!

[abbismom.livejournal.com]

I hate...I mean detest...when a parent squashes a child's expressing his or her feelings when there's no harm done. Good for the kid for telling her off in a completely eloquent way! I laughed my proverbial ass off on this one!

[telesilla.livejournal.com]

I seem to recall having a similar conversation with my mother, whose motto seems to be "confuse the stupid people with words they don't understand."

[wickedsin.livejournal.com]

FULL OF WIN

[lllvis.livejournal.com]

Aaahhhh...gives ya hope when you overhear a conversation like that doesn't it??

[sykii.livejournal.com]

That is kind of the best thing ever.
I wince when I imagine the first time he says "I deride you!" to some knuckle-dragger in the schoolyard, though.

[hangedwoman.livejournal.com]

I guess I need to tell my mom that she has long-lost relatives in NYC.