conversations with Olivia

Today I had a conversation with Olivia that made me experience several different emotions as a mother.

I really want my kids to be hard workers. I want them to know the joy that comes from working hard. So whenever I can I try to make them do little jobs. Today I asked Olivia to wipe the window clean after I sprayed with glass cleaner.

"But I don't waaaaaaaant tooooooooooo.... that's borrrinnngggg..." says my 3-year-old. Already whining about being asked to do one simple thing. I really remember being eager to help as a child. I finally convinced her to come and clean the window. She whined the entire time. I said, "Ya know, Liv, when I'm doing a chore I don't like to do, I think about how happy Daddy will be when he comes home and sees how clean we made the house. That makes me want to work even harder."

Olivia replied, "Yeah and then maybe he will take us to DISNEYLAND!" This is where I thought, "Oh great we have officially spoiled this one. She thinks one clean window = a trip to Disneyland, she's in for a lifetime of disappointment. I told her I didn't think we'd go to Disneyland, but he'd sure be happy. And she said, "Well I still just like thinking about Disneyland when I clean stuff." Well good for you kid, me too. Then she started her random babble that always amuses me and makes me wish I had a tape recorder going at all times.

"Maybe when our baby boy is born, he will go to a really hard school like Daddy. Because he's a boy. And then when he graduates we can celebrate by going to Disneyland!" This is where I fear we are raising a girl who thinks she can't go to college, and I second my guess thought about not sending her to preschool this year. I know this is irrational. I tell her girls can go to hard schools too. She argued and told me hard schools are just for boys. I guess since her dad, and most everyone she knows has a dad in medical school, it has equaled in her little mind that only boys can go. I tried telling her that several of her aunts are in college, and her own mother has a college degree... but this logic is lost on her. At least she wants to celebrate at the right place.