Pension Funds

Several weeks ago as the boys and I were on our way to preschool we were listening to the radio when the news came on. The broadcaster was covering a story on a company where nearly all the employees had lost their pension funds. From the back seat Brayden spoke up and the conversation went something like this:

Brayden: "Mom, what is wrong with that woman on the radio."
Me: "Nothing is wrong with her. She is just covering the latest news."
Brayden: "Well she isn't being very nice."
Me: "What do you mean?"
Brayden: "Pinchin' isn't fun or nice. She needs to stop it right now and tell her friend she is sorry."
Me: (after attempting to explain a pension fund to a 4 year old) "Brayden, you are right. Pinching isn't nice and I bet she will go apologize to her friend."

After I composed my laughter I thought "good heavens we need to get out of town more because my son talks like a hillbilly - I mean - "pinchin" - really." My second thought was - "ok, I think we are making some progress with this whole parenting gig we have going on."

In weeks previous we experienced some "issues" at preschool with Brayden demonstrating his brawn and determination in some not-so-nice-ways. Pinching was on the lighter side.

Later that day as I thought about how Brayden interpreted the news cast to apply to his life I realized that there are so many complex concepts to understand in the world that sometimes - as parents - we are better off using our children's interpretation of those complexities as a teaching moment for where they are in their own lives rather than trying to rush things and explain the real meaning behind the concept. Of course, I think Brayden is one smart cookie, but there was little hope of me actually being able to explain a pension fund to him.

This conversation was just one of dozens of daily reminders of how very important it is that we censor and filter what our children are exposed to in mass media, through their family, friends and teachers. Certainly, there is no harm in a news cast about pension funds, but it reminded me how any concept can be interpreted and simplified to apply to a child's life. I made a mental note to be more cognizant of what we listen to on the radio and TV because I know those little eyes and ears see and hear everything.

In the mean time, I am waiting for the day preschool calls to say Brayden is singing the lyrics to the Zac Brown Band's Toes in the Water. If you listen to country music you know they go something like, "I've got my toes in the water....toes in the sand...not a worry in the world....a cold beer in my hand..."

Opps, great, just great, that will go over really well at school.