Innocence

I think it is a universal challenge for parents with more than one child. With the oldest, it is easy to protect, to shelter, to control what they see, read, or eat. Then when the next child comes along it is more challenging. The older child is an influence on the younger. The older child is watching and doing things appropriate for their age, but the younger child is exposed. By the time you have four children with an eight year age difference, the youngest child watches things you would have never have dreamed of letting the oldest see at the same age.

As we mom's always tend to do, I've felt some guilt over this. Nolan and Vivian didn't watch Bob the Builder, Sesame Street, Dora, or many other little kids shows like their older siblings. Kellen and Lydia were already beyond those kids shows and the younger ones wanted to watch what the older ones wanted. The trend has continued through the years, and I've often been amazed at what we allow the younger ones to watch when I think of what the older two loved at the same age. They all watch Dr. Who for goodness sake! At seven (Vivian's age now) Kellen's favorite show was Fetch (PBS.) It is what it is, I guess, and I don't know how it could have been different unless we didn't watch any TV or everyone had their own TV in their rooms.

The same has happened with their music. The youngest never really listened to children's songs. They listen to what Kellen listens too, and sometimes his choices are interesting to say the least. He has quite eclectic taste in music, and thankfully has been wise enough to weed out most music with explicit lyrics, especially when his siblings are present.

Today Lydia, Nolan and I were working in the kitchen. Nolan was singing something softly. I really didn't hear it, but Lydia says to him, "Nolan, I think that song is about gambling." Her tone clearly implied that he shouldn't be singing that song. Nolan argued that it has nothing to due with gambling, but was about chasing the the Lucky Charms leprechaun.  Say what?!

So, he sings me a bit of the song, "Up all night, just to get lucky."

It was hard to keep a straight face, but I managed to ask him how he knew the song was about Lucky Charms. He back tracked a bit, and admitted he didn't know for sure. He continued to make his case for how this made perfect logical sense. Lydia went right along with him. I just smiled to myself, and said a quick prayer of thanks for their adorable innocence. May it last for a long, long, time.