Carpool Conversations

My favorite talks with the kids usually take place in the car.  We don't drive as much anymore now that we live inside town, but our short commutes to school each day are some of my favorites.

On Monday, I used the old adage, "Money doesn't grow on trees" when instructing the kids regarding their wasteful habits.

So my son said, "What if money did grow on trees? We could buy everything we wanted."

And my right brained 5th grader said, "No we couldn't. Don't you know that during WW2, Germany produced so much money that inflation drove the price of a single candy bar up to 4500 marks. Putting more money into the economy does not get us more stuff."

I'm so thankful for good books that teach her.  Too bad my son prefers books with the word "toilet" in the title.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We are still trying to discuss a few verses from Proverbs each morning on the way to school.  On Tuesday, the verse was Proverbs 20:1

"Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise."

My daughter, who has a judging personality, took that to mean that we should never ever take a sip of alcohol, not ever, ever, ever!  While my son asked, "If wine is so wrong, why did Jesus drink it so often?"

So I tried to explain and balance each of their thoughts. My daughter knows I do not drink at all, so I explained that I have an addictive personality, have addictive behaviors in my genetic history, and see no point in consuming empty calories that could create a lifetime of hardship or injure others..that it's hard to know how much is too much, and each sip deadens the senses to be discerning in what that limit might be.

But I also explained to her that in certain cultures it is very rude not to offer guests wine, so we always keep a nice bottle on hand to show proper hospitality.  We just choose not to drink it ourselves, but that doesn't mean we should judge those who do.  It was a good conversation overall, but that boy of ours....he could be trouble!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Wednesday, I got in the van and smelled onions.  I looked all over for spilled food, old lunch boxes, something...

Turns out it was my 8-year-old's breath.  Apparently he nibbled on onions while making his lunch this morning.  And then forgot to brush his teeth!!!!  How is that even possible with such a noxious odor to remind him...surely his allergies are not that bad!

I gave him a toothbrush and toothpaste from my purse during carpool.  He better brush those teeth before they all fall out.