Learning about cars.
Sometimes I have moments with Emily that remind me that I have to be careful not to view everything through the lens of her problems. Today, for instance, we were behind a car with a bumper sticker on the back that said “You’re behind a GIRL SCOUT, leading the way!”
Me: Look at that bumper sticker, Emily!
Her: (looking out her window)
Me: It says, “You’re behind a GIRL SCOUT!” Do you see it?
Her: (glancing around)
Me: It’s on the car in front of us. A girl scout must be in front of us!
Her: (looking out her window with apparent disinterest)
Me: Do you see the bumper sticker? Look, it’s right there, on the black car in front of us.
At this point, I’m getting frustrated, assuming she can’t focus, it’s too much, I’m hectoring her, etc.
Her: (looks at the black car) “You’re behind a GIRL SCOUT!”
Me: Yes!
Her: What’s a bumper sticker?
Me: …
It never occurred to me that she didn’t know what a bumper sticker was, so she didn’t know what she was supposed to be looking for. So then she learned what a bumper sticker was, what a bumper was (she didn’t know), what I meant by “front bumper” and “rear bumper,” why we call them bumpers, and so on.
Sometimes it’s good to just remember that she’s eight years old. She doesn’t know from bumpers. I’m glad she learned something new.