ImPerceptibility

Posts Tagged ‘embarrassed’

One of my pet peeves is when people dumb down what they are talking about when they talk to little children. This irritates me the most when they talk about science topics. Sure you can simplify the explanation but why not use proper scientific terms? Why teach them one name and re-teach them the correct name a few years later. Honestly, when your four-year-old falls down and asks Grandma if she thinks her patella is cracked, you’ll appreciate the effort.

When my youngest was little she asked me about the parts of a flower I told her the proper names. Stigma, pistol, stamen, anther, sepal, ovary. Why not? She was curious and she’d learn it one day. No day like the present. So, when she was reading the children’s menu out loud at a local restaurant I got a little irritated when it called the flower parts “male parts” and “female parts” Why didn’t they just name the parts?

“Male and female part?” I questioned her. “What are they called for real?”

She looked at me and told me the the female part was the stigma. I smiled. What are male parts called I asked with a smirk on my face. No one was gonna dumb down my kid.

She thought about it for a minute then a flash of memory came across her face. I waited anxiously for the response.

“Male parts are called the penis!” she said loudly, excited that she remembered.

A few heads turned and I turned red.

They are, Mom! Male parts are called the penis!

Yeah, I taught her that too. What was I thinking?

“Hey! Who wants ice cream for dessert!” I shouted.