There are many ways in which I fail at being a good modern parent, ranging from seldom insisting on baths to never once having done a craft off of Pinterest.
However, probably the most important is in teaching children proper names for body parts from earliest ages. You know, *those* body parts.
This is really important for their proper development and safety and what-not, or so countless articles and other, more successfully modern, mothers tell me. Nonetheless, I continue to fall behind on this count.
There are reasons for this.
One is that I tried once, and I got so tired of hearing about *that* body part that I never wanted to proceed to others. "Hey, that comes up as high as my (body part)!" "Watch out, you bumped my (body part)!"
Another is that I am still pretty dicey on anatomical details myself. I mean, I know a lot of names and I know the general area, but it's kind of like trying to remember the difference between Estonia and Latvia. This shocking ignorance has not prevented me from reproducing four times and having a lot of fun in the bargain. So it can't be completely necessary for a good life.
I'm a lawyer, not a doctor. My kids may not know where their spleen or other, more interesting, body parts are, but they can dissect a verbal ambiguity in ten seconds flat, much to the bewilderment of their peers.
So, kids, if you want to know the names for body parts, consult the anatomy diagrams in the science dictionary. If you want to know about your rights and duties with regard to your insurance, I'm happy to help.
2 comments:
The advantage of marrying a nurse: a great education on anatomy. The disadvantage of marrying a nurse: stories about all the painful things that can happen to said anatomy.
One advantage you can count as a blessing is that the following conversation with a 4 year old will not take place:
"Mama, what's next on the vagina?"
as opposed to
"What's next on the agenda?"
Yep. That happened. So stinking cute.
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