Every age has its challenges

While listening to the CBC radio coverage of the N. Korea nuclear disarmament deal...

ME:
Hmm, that's good news

SAHSEZ:
What is?

ME:
That progress is being made in dismantling the North Korea nuclear arms system

SAHSEZ:
Like bombs?

ME:
Yup.

SAHSEZ:
I hate bombs.

ME:

Me too.

SAHSEZ:
But nobody's ever bombed anybody before, have they?

ME:
Yup.  The Americans have bombed Japan. Twice.

SAHSEZ:
They have? Wow. But we're not American, right?

ME:
No, we aren't. We're Canadian. But we were on their side in that war. And they are our friends.

SAHSEZ:
Well, they're not my friends. They're bad guys! They bomb Japanese people.

ME:
Yes, it's bad to bomb people. But it was a big war and the Japanese were fighting on the side of Hitler.

SAHSEZ:
Hitler? That really bad guy who killed all those people?

ME:
Yup.

SAHSEZ:
But why did Japanese people want to be on his side? They're sort of brown and he hates brown people.

ME: (definitely starting to regret I ever commented on that news story)
Yeah, I don't know. Good question.

SAHSEZ: (after a few moments of silence)
So it's all Hitler's fault?

ME: (tempted, very tempted, to blame it all on one evil man. Hitler is the cause of all wars! Hiter is the cause of all genocide! Hitler is to blame for all racism, misogyny, and he is the reason that you have to eat things you don't like!)
Not really. I mean, he is a very, very, very bad guy, it's true. But he's not the only bad guy that caused suffering from that war. War is very bad and sometimes makes people bad.

SAHSEZ: (after more pondering)
Well, I think the people that made the bombs are the worst!

ME: (thinking, "I am out of my depth here! I don't have a degree in political science, or ethics, or military history, or philosophy, or physics, or child psychology, or anything USEFUL. I am not fit to parent!")
Well, maybe they were a little bit bad too, but they were scientists, right? They were doing experiments to learn things. They aren't the ones who made the decision to use the bomb in the way it was used.

SAHSEZ:
So the scientists made the bomb, but they didn't use the bomb, but maybe sold it to somebody, and they bombed Japan, but they did it because they hated Hitler. Hmmm. (the gears are turning in the seven-year-old head, while the thirty-year-old is mentally grasping at straws: "Arms dealers and munitions makers? Could they be the universal scapegoat? Oh damn, I forgot Major Barbara. Bother and blast!")

ME:
Yup, it's really complicated and really sad.

SAHSEZ:
Yeah it makes me sad, Mummy. I'm never going to bomb anybody, or make any bombs.

ME: (phew!)
Good girl.

*************************

While Trying to employ Harvey Karp's Toddler-ese techniques with M'hijo, who is becoming increasingly strong-willed...

M'HIJO:
(squirming in my arms, lunging for the front door, holding one of his rainboots in his hand)
Waaaaaaaaaaah! Waaaaah!

ME:
(making a mad face, pointing repeatedly at the door) You want to go outside! You want to go outside! Outside! Outside!

M'HIJO: (bucking wildly, pounding on the door)
Waaaaaah! Waah waah Waaah! Mamamamam! Mamamamama!

ME: (thinking "This is never going to work. He is too young for this. This isn't going to work.)
Yes, baby wants outside! Baby wants outside! Outside!

M'HIJO:
Waaah! Waaah!

ME: (thinking "He is pre-verbal. He doesn't know what 'outside' means. This is pointless.")
Baby wants outside but it's inside time. Inside time. Baby wants outside! Outside! But it's inside time. Time for playing. Time for reading books (holding up a book), time for--

M'HIJO: (stopping the pounding, looking at the book)
Mama?

ME:
Book time! Yes, baby can have book time. Baby want book time?

M'HIJO: (settling into my lap, tears still wet on his cheeks)
Mama!

ME: (phew!)
Okay, book time!  (reading) What does a dog say? Woof woof!