What Our Kids Teach Us

Scene: Aiden and I are having a conversation about math. He starts talking about skip counting by 2's. Successfully. He feels a little confident in his abilities so he begins to skip count by 5's too. 

Aiden: So, now... this is how you count by 5's: 5, 10, 15, 25, 35, 4-- 

Me: Actually, that's not how you skip count by 5's. You're missing numbers.  

Aiden (Still enthusiastic): Okay. This is how you count by 5's: 5, 10, 15, 25, 35, 4-- 

Me: Actually, you just said the same thing. You're skipping numbers so that's not how you skip count by 5's. 

Aiden: You didn't let me finish! 

Me: I know. But I had to correct you. I can't let you finish if you're saying the wrong thing. 

Aiden: But I let you finish if you're saying the wrong thing! 

Me: Okay... fine. Go.  

Aiden: This is how you skip count by 5's: 5, 10, 15, 25, 35, 45, 50, 55, 60. (Looks at me.) Now it's your turn to talk. 

I don't know if I should thank him for teaching me -- again -- how a conversation actually goes (ie: my turn, your turn, and so on and so forth), scold him for schooling me, or some rare combination of both. But I do know that a stubborn mother and a stubborn child makes for a very interesting combination. 

Man, the things our kids teach us...