Lately, whenever I put in a simple request with my four-year-old - pick up the spoon you dropped on the floor, put the puzzle away, come here and brush your teeth - he responds with a salute.
At first I was very mildly aware of the gesture. Then yesterday he did it again and the implications dawned. I asked him to do it again just to be sure that my precious little urchin was gesticulating as suspected. He was.
Where did you see that, sweetheart? In the movie Hair when Berger goes into the army? Wishful thinking on semi-hippy mother's part.
No. At school. There's a song we sing and we do that.
What the hell song is that? Er. Sorry honey. I mean, What song is that?
I can't remember.
I probably wouldn't be so sensitive if we didn't live where we live. I'm sure the song and the salute have something to do with next week's Memorial and Independence Days but nonetheless... Sue me for not finding military associations amusing particularly with regards to a preschooler.
4 comments:
Don't expect any lawsuits from me - I couldn't agree with you more! I had to speak sternly to my husband's 6 yr old nephew over the weekend, because I really didn't like the fact that he was holding a little toy and pretending to "shoot" my 2 yr old (and it wasn't a toy gun, so clearly the kid has imagination), and telling him that he was shooting him. He's two! We're still working on the words for different household items and "I love you"; there's certainly no need for weaponry and violence at this stage.
Darling Steph – it comes with the territory. Israel is at war, its children are going to the army when they are 18 years old and its education system is in correlation to that – militaristic and nationalistic.
She – Daniel, my 4,5 years old angel of a boy played with imaginary guns when he lived in Israel, and when he moved to Canada, at the age of three. His Canadian friends pretend to be playing with guns, or have gun-toys and swords with which they play in the parks. We never bought Daniel a weapon yet he picks a stick from the ground and claims its his gun. And what I basically want to say is that I realized that boys play with weapons no matter where they are raised. It’s in their nature.
Hadas, I know you're right, but can't I keep him innocent for just a bit longer? Please? :-)
Yes, indeed, most boys will fashion weapons out of whatever's handy including shaping toast into a gun bite by crunchy bite. it's not geographic. My sensitivity is.
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