A few lessons learned

First, I mentioned swimming lessons to Paige (who has refused lessons--and when she says she won't do something she means it). She made that wrinkled face, so I thought of a story I have heard a million times about my grandfather. My Dad often told me growing up about how his Dad didn't know how to swim and while fishing he fell off a boat and almost drowned. I don't remember if my Dad, who can't swim either, witnessed this and could not help or was just told about it. Anyway, I toned the story down so as not to scare Paige but explained that my grandfather could not swim and got really scared and barely made it back to the boat he was one one day. I told her I didn't want her to ever feel like she could not get to the side of a pool or a boat. She has been a ball of questions ever since. "Mom, what did he do. Mom, how did he get back to the boat. Why didn't he like swimming? What did Pop Pop do? Is he OK? Where is he now?" Anyway, I asked again...will you try lessons...and again...the wrinkled face.

Second, Friday night I watched Chronicles of Narnia with the girls on the Disney channel. I questioned if the movie would get a little too scary but it seemed OK. Disney channel right? It was great until the king lion gets his mane sheered and then he is stabbed by the witch. Paige was not phased because she is no where near the TV junky that Tate is. Tate's eyes almost bugged out. In an instant I realized it was a little too much. We talked about it and she seemed OK. By the way, the lion came back to life...thank goodness. That night she had trouble falling asleep. She said every time she closed her eyes she saw the lion being hurt. We talked more about movies and real life and books and real life and that seemed to work. She hasn't mentioned it since, but I guess we will hold off on watching ET.

Moral is...snap decisions to tell stories or watch movies you have never seen before with your kids can lead to more harm than good. Hopefully they are not scarred!