Friday, June 3, 2011

When I grow up...

I had a conversation with Monkey that I thought was so great I had to share it with you!
We were eating dinner and all of a sudden Monkey asked Titan, “When you are 64, how old will I be?” Monkey is practically a human calculator so it didn’t surprise me that he asked a math question. Titan took a moment to think about the answer and told him, “You’ll be 36 when I am 64, which means that when I’m 64 you will be as old as I am right now.”
Monkey got a grin on his face and I could see the wheels turning in his brain and he thought about what his dad had just told him. He looked like he thought it was the coolest thing ever. When I saw his face light up I started to ask him questions to see if I could get him to continue the train of thought.
Me: “Do you think it will be fun to be a big man someday like Dad is right now?”
Monkey: “Yes! That will be great!”
Me: “What do you think you will be doing?”
Monkey: “I will be a graduate.”
Me: “A graduate? That’s great! Do you think you will be married just like Dad?”
Monkey: “Yes!”
Me: “Do you think you will have kids that are just like you?”
Monkey: “Oh, yes!”
Me: “Do you have any idea how many kids you will have?”
Monkey: “Ten!”
Me: “Really? Wow! Are you sure you want that many?”
Monkey: “Yes, ten!”
Me: “Well, you’ll want to talk with your wife about that! What kind of job do you think you will have?”
Monkey: “In a restaurant.”
Me: “What kind of work do you want to do in the restaurant?”
Monkey paused for a moment to try to think of what work people do in a restaurant.
Titan: “You know, working in a restaurant is a LOT harder than when you eat there! Do you think you would like to wash dishes, be a cook, or maybe a waiter?”
Monkey: “A waiter.” He paused again while he thought. “At Red Robin.”
Me: “Wow!”
He had a big smile on his face and he was obviously very happy about the talk we were having about his future as a man when he would be his daddy’s age. I love the fact that we had a conversation that was relevant (not scripted or memorized), spontaneous, and also allowed him to use his imagination to think about something abstract. He kept his focus the whole time and was fully engaged, staying on topic and coming up with realistic answers to all of the questions.
At some point I think I’ll have to help him understand that taking care of a wife and ten kids might not be very easy if he is working as a waiter. But, that talk can definitely wait for another day, or perhaps another year! I am so proud of him and the progress he’s making with his communication skills. It was a wonderful moment that was too cute to keep to myself.

 
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