We had some close friends from DC come to visit us this weekend and two of them are a married couple expecting their first child. It was wonderful to talk to them about their excitement and chat about the world of parenting. However, no baby class or book could prepare them for a weekend with my 4 year-old daughter. We had to keep reassuring them that their baby wouldn’t come out of the womb asking the questions that my daughter asked. Questions asked as if she were interrogating them with a bright light shining in their faces.
- Who is your favorite princess?
- Why do you have 2 bracelets and not just 1?
- Why do you wear your hair back and not down?
- Where does your brother live?
- Do you have any pets?
- Would you like to wear a dress up dress? (Said to the husband, not wife)
However, the question that always leaves folks looking like a deer in headlights is – ”Do you want to play Barbies with me?”
They all look around to the left then right, as if to try to find someone to throw a raft to them for rescue. Each time, I would jump in and come up with a reason they couldn’t play. Finally, I had to fess up and say, “Sweetie, not everyone enjoys playing Barbies every waking minute of the day.”
You would have thought I told her that Clifford really isn’t a pretend big red dog. She was bewildered, confused, and walked away with a look that said, “That crazy woman has no idea what she is talking about…”
I’m guessing that my friends are a bit scared to have a daughter now after this weekend. However, I have to admit, I totally plan on sending them a Barbie as their first baby present. So wrong, but yet… so right.
