Thursday, March 15, 2007

4 year old logic

Having a conversation with my 4 year old is sometimes frustrating. He doesn't get the concept of time, for one thing.

Him: Will you come get me a drink?
Me: In a minute.
Him: (pained moan) I can't wait that long!
or
Him: Can you come downstairs with me?
Me: I'll be there in five minutes.
Him: (said immediately) Has it been five minutes?

And then there's the whole food thing. Apparently, he has separated areas in his stomach for each type of food available. So dinner time goes something like this:

Him: Can I have ice cream now?
Me: You didn't finish your dinner. (Looking closer at his plate) Did you even eat anything?
Him: I'm full of dinner. I want ice cream.
Me: But if you're full, you don't have room for ice cream.
Him: I am only full of dinner. I am not full of ice cream.

And of course, his favorite thing is to insist he desperately needs me to come get him something, and when we get to wherever this mysterious something is, he has no clue what he wants. He didn't forget, he just wanted me to go somewhere in the house with him so he made up some phantom thing that he wanted. He does this most often with food.

Him: (staring into pantry)
Me: So what was it you wanted that I had to come get for you because you couldn't reach it? (Said while tapping foot impatiently.)
Him: (staring into pantry)
Me: Cereal? Pop Tarts? Pudding?
Him: (Finally snapping out of his trance) Cereal. In a bowl with milk.

This is the same child to whom I have taught the first six letters of the alphabet almost every day with no sign that they are sticking in his brain at all. Kindergarten next year should be fun.

How about you? Do your kids do things that defy logic?

5 comments:

  1. He sounds freakishly like my Peanut who I am sure is destined for the slow classes b/c she cannot remember shapes and colors...at all.

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  2. The four year old is just too busy having fun to be bothered with repeatability.

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  3. I've always sworn that my kids, especially my daughter, talk just to hear their own voices!! As for dinner, yeah, my son (5) is famous for being full of dinner, and hungry for dessert :-)
    My son still won't tie his shoes...which bugs me more than if he wasn't retaining letters...

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  4. yes, my six year old just stuck his booty in his brother's friend's face and tried to squeeze out a toot!

    gross~

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  5. I like his concept of "too full for dinner" though. I think I've used that one myself recently.

    The worst time is at bedtime. I put the kids to bed and then tell them I will come lay down with them in 10 minutes. (2 minutes later I hear crying "Why haven't you come in here yet?")

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