Honesty, the Super-Power of Children

     Ahhh, children.  Tiny little breathes of fresh air, aren't they?  And honest.....oh, so very honest.  I learned this the hard way a few weeks ago while driving with my oldest son, who is six.  I realized he was not wearing his seat belt, and pulled over so we could discuss the potential dangers and remedy the situation.
 I asked him, "Lowell, why aren't you wearing your seat belt?"
     To which he replied, "Why aren't YOU wearing your seat belt?"
     My initial response was to tell him, "Because I'm a grown-up."
     Typically, this generic reply goes over without a hitch.  But on this day, little Lowell decided to expand on          the topic.
     "Yeah, because you're a grown-up.  But it's also because you're heavy, right?"
     Oy vey.  That hit me hard, right in my over-abundant stomach.  And there was not a single thing I could do about it.  He's a child, and children are well-known for speaking the truth.  What he said was not meant maliciously, or with any ill-intent.  He was simply observing the situation through the uncorrupted eyes of a child.
     I did, eventually, muster a slightly more coherent response, and explained to him that it wasn't nice to make references to a person's weight, under any circumstance.  He had a hard time understanding this, since he was "only telling the truth, Mom."  The entire event opened up a rather large can of society-driven expectations for him, including references to age, skin color, and body type.  As a child, he has yet to grasp the politics of grown-up existence, and what truths are okay to point out, and which truths are best ignored.  The afternoon was a decisively learning experience for me as a mother, and really brought home the responsibility I have to teach my children behaviors that are acceptable within American society.
     How about you, gentle reader?  Have you ever been pinned to the wall by an overtly honest statement made by a child?  "Mommy, why does that man's stomach hang over his pants like that?"  Or, "Mommy, why is that little girl so much darker than me?"  And let's not forget my personal favorite, "Mommy, why is that lady's face so wrinkly?"
     Please enlighten me on how you chose to handle a similar situation.  Goodness knows I can use all the help I can get.