[LMB] Re Explaining stuff to kids OT:

[Laura Gallagher]

Kirsten Edwards  wrote:
> Laura G. wrote in reference to one's child's body-image:
> "I don't think my parents would ever have thought of
> telling me I was beautiful.  I'm guessing it would have
> been considered a bad idea, something that would make me
> vain."
>
> And she makes a point of telling *her* kids how terrificly
> they're made.

And then shares:
> Anecdote: My mother told me two things about myself: She
> told me I had "lion-colored" hair and that I "reminded
> her of the Nike of Samothrace."

I had to go look up the picture.  I wonder what it was about it.
Hopefully neither the wings nor the lack of a head.

Anyway, that reminds me of an anecdote of my own.  I was born a
strawberry blonde, and had rather red hair for a while as a child.
(Sadly, it faded to a dull brown by the time I hit puberty.  I tried
for a while post-college to dye it back to what I wanted, but
eventually gave it up as a bad effort.)

My mother used to say I had hair just the color of an Irish setter.
This might not have been so bad - they're rather pretty dogs, after
all.  But she would *always* follow this with the comment "The more
the feathers, the less the brain!" (the "feathers" being a reference
to the long fine hair of the Irish setters) and laugh.

So no, it never really came across as a compliment.

> Thackery: Mother is the word for God on the lips and in
> the hearts of little children.

That's one I've never gotten that much past myself.

> One day, no doubt, your Mighty Mites will be posting what
> a great mother they got.

Thank you.  I needed that right now.  Currently the little larva is
making me so darned sick I'm not getting anything done, and I've been
feeling pretty bad about it.

Laura