Morality and Pizza: An Average Sunday Around These Parts

Over a pizza lunch on Sunday Michael started asking me why he didn't have any brothers and sisters.  And instead of really answering the question, (I was so not prepared for the why you are an only child discussion), I decided to turn it into a teaching moment on how all families are different.  It was not the first time we had had this conversation, but I decided since he was so much older, I could make it a little more intense.

"Michael, all families are different.  Some families have a Mommy and a Daddy, some families have one Mommy only, some families have one Daddy.  Some families are two Mommies or two Daddies.  Some families are an Aunt or an Uncle or a Grandma or a Grandpa."

"Or a brother and a sister?"

"Or a brother and a sister.  Or one brother or one sister."

"Or a cousin?"

"Or a cousin.  Or 12 cousins.  But the most important thing Michael is that when you go over to someone's house, even if their family looks different from ours, that we show them respect.  Because all families are okay.  The most important thing about a family is love.  Not what it looks like, but love."

"Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"Can I be done?"

"With this conversation or with lunch?"

"With lunch."

And somehow that meant we were done with both things.  I'm thinking though, if I say it often enough, it will sink in.  Because nothing is more important to me than respecting all people, no matter who they are or what they look like or what they believe.  All people.

Comments

[kris]

What a lovely post, Jodi. He'll learn from your example, whether he sits the whole way through the talk or not. And what a great example that is.

[Stimey]

Excellent job with the conversation! Also? I get a lot of those, "Can we be done with this?" questions. Only they're talking about my incessant chatting, not lunch.

[Bristelle]

Good job Mom!! I love the way you handled that question and topic.

[Vicky]

So simple, yet so true. Great job and great post.