What I Learned From My Son

When my son was two, he was totally into dinosaurs and construction trucks.  They enthralled him.  Already the nerd that he promises to be, he wasn’t content to identify a few familiar specimens.  Dump trucks and stegosauruses did not satisfy him.  No, he wanted to learn the names of every type of construction truck and every species of dinosaur that ever existed.  He likes information, and he likes to be precise.  We got books, and I learned more about construction trucks and dinosaurs than I ever wanted to know.  We borrowed a dvd from the library called “Twenty Trucks.”  The theme song asked, “Can you name twenty trucks?  Well, I think you can.”  My son and I could.

Now dinosaurs and construction trucks have lost their fascination.  My son has mastered them.  His latest obsession is Pokémon.

The allure of Pokémon is both the fantastic creatures and the categorizing of them. There are different types, each with different powers.  They can gain new powers in battle, and they can use their powers in unexpected ways.  They can evolve into different forms, depending on various factors.  And there is always a new one to learn.  At lunch yesterday my son regaled me with hypotheses about the outcomes of possible match-ups and his explanations of the different types.  I was asked to weigh in on the likelihood of one Pokémon beating another.  I have to keep up.

I admit that I am proud of my knowledge of construction trucks and dinosaurs.  Occasionally I get to show it off, at the science museum or in the sand box.  I’m not sure who I can impress with my knowledge of Pokémon, but maybe someday I’ll dazzle seven-year-olds at a birthday party.  Being a mom has taught me more than I ever thought I would know.