I might have created a monster!
Apparently Brad informed Beya at some point in the recent past that she's going to have to move out of our house one day and get her own so lately Beya's been telling us, "I don't want my own house! I want to live with you!" No matter how much I try to assure her that it's in the far far distant future and one day she'll probably be counting down the days until she can leave our house, she was not convinced. So I tried a different approach.
I pointed out all the things she will be able to do on her own like make her house look like whatever she wanted and how she'll get to find a boy she really likes and marry him and have her own babies. She points out, "But I'll have the new baby(referring to mine)... I don't need my own baby."
So I said, "But you'll want to marry a boy. Just you wait."
After a moment of consideration, Beya replies, "What kind of boy?"
Me: "Whatever kind of boy you want. What kind of boy would YOU want to marry?"
Beya: "I don't know. What kind of boy will I marry?"
Me: "Well...." thinking carefully, "I hope you choose someone who's really nice and can be your best friend."
Beya: "But I want YOU to be my best friend!"
Me: (sighing and trying to think of a good way to convince her) "I'll always be your friend but what if you could marry a boy that was really nice to you and did fun things with you and lived with you in your house. I bet he would buy you presents to show you he loved you..."
Beya (responding immediately): OK, I'll have my own house.
OK, waaaaaait a minute. That was a really quick turnaround and then I realized my mistake. I said she could marry someone that would buy her presents and apparently that sealed the deal. Kids are so fickle aren't they? I wasn't really sure how I would undo that or whether it even needed undoing so I laughed it off and said, "But don't worry, you don't have to get your own house for a really long time."
Beya responded, "No, that's ok. I'll go to my own house."
I pointed out all the things she will be able to do on her own like make her house look like whatever she wanted and how she'll get to find a boy she really likes and marry him and have her own babies. She points out, "But I'll have the new baby(referring to mine)... I don't need my own baby."
So I said, "But you'll want to marry a boy. Just you wait."
After a moment of consideration, Beya replies, "What kind of boy?"
Me: "Whatever kind of boy you want. What kind of boy would YOU want to marry?"
Beya: "I don't know. What kind of boy will I marry?"
Me: "Well...." thinking carefully, "I hope you choose someone who's really nice and can be your best friend."
Beya: "But I want YOU to be my best friend!"
Me: (sighing and trying to think of a good way to convince her) "I'll always be your friend but what if you could marry a boy that was really nice to you and did fun things with you and lived with you in your house. I bet he would buy you presents to show you he loved you..."
Beya (responding immediately): OK, I'll have my own house.
OK, waaaaaait a minute. That was a really quick turnaround and then I realized my mistake. I said she could marry someone that would buy her presents and apparently that sealed the deal. Kids are so fickle aren't they? I wasn't really sure how I would undo that or whether it even needed undoing so I laughed it off and said, "But don't worry, you don't have to get your own house for a really long time."
Beya responded, "No, that's ok. I'll go to my own house."
Wow, thanks for setting that expectation for her future husband. Beya should settle for someone who pays all the bills & gives her a kiss every morning & evening. One who plays catch with her kids. Now that is something to look forward to. After about 15 years he should be able to afford a present or two.
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