Point to Ponder: Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said.
Story Line:
Last week our four years old grandson had come over for bonding time with us. In one of his previous visits he had noticed a statue of Buddha in our garden and asked several questions about it. From then on he calls us “Buddha Grand Pa and Buddha Grand Ma” and other Grand Parents by another special name; I guess it must be for clarity in communication.
While he was at our place, we took him on many field trips including a visit to Intel Museum. On the way, the little guy asked, “What does Intel do?” We told him that Intel made silicon chips.
To that he said: WOW! I like chips. I will eat a lot.
We told him: You can’t eat those chips. But he kept insisting that he wanted to eat them.
Unable to persuade him with technical explanations, we resorted to the last option “You can’t eat them. They are made with poisonous chemicals “
In the late evening he was FaceTime with his parents and cautioned them “Don’t eat Intel chips. They have poison in them”
As the call ended and realizing that he needed to follow his routine of taking bath before going to sleep, I told him in hurry “ Go and tell Grand Ma, I want to take bath now.”
A few minutes later he returned and said “I told Buddha Grand Ma that you want to take bath now.”
Reflection:
Yes indeed, clear and crisp communication has been my area of improvement (IR) and it has resulted in many funny episodes in and out of home all my life. But no major harm done and a lot of entertainment.