13 December 2008

Teaching moment

We moms are always looking for the so-called "teaching moments." Actually, I think these moments are occasions that catch us totally unprepared and we scramble to salvage some sanity from the situation.

And, then to cover our awkwardness, we call them teaching moments.

Today was one of those days. My kids were in the back seat of the car fighting over an empty paper grocery bag of all things. My son said he "needed" it more than his sister because he "wanted" it more than she did.

I told him he didn't know what his sister was thinking, nor could he know if she wanted the grocery bag more or less than he did.

My son replied that he knew what was in his sister's head.

Trying to seize on the opportunity to lay some theological groundwork, I told him only God knew what was in anyone's heart or head or soul.

This, of course, was to set up future conversations about:
*only God knows our thoughts, but the humbling part is He DOES know our thoughts
*you cannot judge a person, you don't know their thoughts or motivations, only God knows that and you ain't God
*sin and confession

So, I again tried to tell my son that only God knows what's in his sister's head.

My son said he knew what was in her head...visions of dancing sugar plum fairies.

Guess it will be awhile before any meaningful discussions happen. Or at least until he's got the Christmas tunes out of his head.

2 comments:

gemoftheocean said...

Rosary meme tag.

Anonymous said...

LOL! I hate those 'teaching moments' when the conversation gets more sureal the more I try and dig myself out of being outsmarted by a 5yr old!!