Tuesday, December 14, 2010

I'm going to make you get divorced and I'm going to marry Mommy!

Ed and the boys were playing last night. I'm not sure what I was doing. Laundry? Dishes? Working? Blogging? I'm not sure, but the wrestling turned into arguing, as it frequently does. (Children need to be taught how to argue effectively. We're teaching them valuable skills here.). When Logan finds himself on the losing side of an argument, he falls back on his tried and true retort, "You're fired, Daddy!"

Lately, the "firing" has proven ineffective, lost it's sheen for him.

Logan's new retort made Ed fall out of his chair because he was laughing so hard.

Logan said, "I'm going to make you get divorced from Mommy! And you're going to marry a new wife and live with her!"

After getting up from the floor and wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes, Ed asked him who was going to marry Mommy and Logan said he was going to marry Mommy. (Awww, how sweet! There's that Oedipal complex in full swing!)

My question is this: Where did my kid learn about divorce? It had to have been at school because Ed and I aren't considering a divorce. We don't discuss it. It's really not an issue for us. We don't have close friends or family members who are going through a divorce. I don't mind that he's heard the term. It's not like you can shield your child from something that half of the population is doing. But whether he learned about divorce from television or school, he has a surprisingly clear understanding of the term and I know I didn't tell him about divorce. He just seems so young to know about it. I first learned about divorces when I was 8 and my parents got divorced.

When did you first learn about divorce? Have your children come home talking about divorce at a young age?

3 comments:

  1. My little brother tells us all, all the time we are fired. It's funny...all the time.

    I don't like it any more than you do that such young kids know about divorce. In fact it makes my blood boil. I know that there are truly great reasons to get divorce. However I feel that is has turned into a 'cop-out' for most. Life gets tough and it's easier to run away than fight the battle.

    I'm nearly 25 and wish I didn't know what divorce was. Heck I could go without the word ever being used in my vocabulary again.

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  2. I was in first grade and my friend's parents were getting a divorce. I clearly remember her misconstrued version of what was happening (my parents don't love each other and they don't love me either) and as a small child, I didn't think to question her answer. Now, looking break, it absolutely breaks my heart to think that she thought her parents didn't love her. Lordy, just thinking about that is making me all weepy.

    It's sad that your babies know what divorce is, but thank God it's not from your own home!

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  3. @Taylee and Elizabeth, I really don't mind that he knows about divorce. At this point, hiding the fact that some people choose to get divorced would be pointless. What bothers me is his attitude about marriage, like marriage was inconsequential, something that could be changed on a whim. I suppose that will change as he matures.

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