Conversations with Roller

Children can be so literal. Have you noticed?

Tonight, as we were well into our nighttime routine and before our bedtime story, I mentioned to Roller how fast he was growing.

"You're getting so big. Soon I won't be able to hug you all time," I said wistfully.

"I know, right," he said, "I wish I could stay the same size forever, and you the same size, and daddy the same size."

"Well you can still grow and get bigger, and I could still hug you. I could hug you forever," I offered. 

"But you can't hug me forever.  You said forever, and you can't hug me forever when I'm buried," he said apologetically.

Pause.

What? Where did that come from!?

"What do you mean by buried? Where did you hear that?" I asked.  

"I don't want to talk about it," he said with finality.  

Okay.  This is a new one for me.  Wasn't prepared for this conversation.

I let it go for a minute.  I read a bedtime story, and then tried again.

"I don't want to talk about it and make you sad," he said.

"Talk about what?"

"That word."

He didn't even want to say it.

"The "d" word?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Well it's a part of life.  It happens to everyone, but we're not going to worry about it now. We're just going to be happy enjoying life right now.  Will you hug me when I'm 60?"

"Yes."

"When I'm 80?"

"Yes."

Well alright then.  I was happy with those answers, and that was that.  I changed the subject to something lighter, and before long he had drifted off to sleep, but I'm still left wondering about our conversation.

What made him think of that? Where did he hear that? Had I said something that caused all of this? And more importantly, did I deal with the topic in the right way? Did I say the right things? How do you talk to a five year old about these things?

I've always believed in being as straight forward as possible with Roller. And I think I prefer it that way.

I just wonder what else is going on in that mind of his.

Children can be so literal!