Questions I Wasn't Prepared To Answer...

Do you remember that episode of Friends where Phoebe discovers that her mom used to shield her from the sad parts of movies like "Old Yeller"? I totally do that.

"Finding Nemo" is one of the boys favorite movies – and every time I turn it on I make sure to skip the opening scene where the mom is eaten by the shark (was it a shark - I wouldn't remember since we skip that part). The Lion King? Bambi? Dumbo? Not gonna happen in my house. Heck, Tonester and I have decided to not let the kids watch The Incredibles. The bad guys are trying to kill an entire family for pete's sake – babies included! That movie is rated PG for good reason.

And here’s my current dilemma. (You knew one was coming, right?)

Domino is a very advanced kindergarten reader. So advanced he’s not reading kindergarten books and his teacher is specifically selecting books that will challenge him at his level. The real struggle with this process is it is difficult to find a book that will challenge his reading skills and also engage the 5 year old portion of his brain that still enjoys looking at pictures. Because of this he’s now reading books that have much more mature themes than I was expecting.

For example:

His first book was “Sudden Secrets” about 2 boys who become friends. One of the boys is paralyzed and uses a wheelchair. There was a really intense paragraph where the boy recounts the day he was in the car accident and the doctor told him he would never be able to run and play again. Domino read the paragraph and then there was a long pause. He said “Wait Mom. Does that mean the boy could run before, then he was in a car accident and now he can’t?” Gulp. “Yes” “But his legs used to work, and now they don’t?” Gulp. “Yes” “And he won’t ever be able to run and play again?” Gulp. “Yes”. "Because he was in a car accident?" Gulp. "Yes".

Now, of course Domino has seen people in wheelchairs and with various levels of physical limitations, but I guess I never really spelled out to him that people in wheelchairs aren’t always born without the use of their legs - that terrible things can happen and you can go from being able to run and play, to being paralyzed. It never occurred to me to have that conversation with him and I would have been just as happy to hit "skip" and not have had it yet.

The second book sent home. “Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto”. Children will die of diphtheria if they don’t get medicine. Dogs die out in the freezing snow and are left behind to become dogcicles. Best of all - it's a true story!

What a nice warm and fuzzy book to read just before bedtime. 2 more things to freak Domino out and give him nightmares. Goodnight buddy. Sleep tight!

Book #3. "Wild, Wild Wolves". Hunters with guns shoot packs of wolves which leads to their near extinction. The “circle of life” is colorfully illustrated in watercolor as a wolf dangles by the teeth from the nose of an “old sick moose” and the rest of the pack kill it and feast on it. Contented blood covered wolf faces looking up from the carcass. Nice visual.

Book #4. "A Mare for Young Wolf". Kids taunt and tease Young Wolf for his attachment to a female horse, not the stallion he is expected to bond with. Indians battle and try to kill each other - kids included.

What a (not) wonderful book for the boy who always gravitates toward female friends and frequently comes home crying because the boys pick on him.

Good god. What’s his teacher going to send home next? This?!