No, You Can't Marry Your Brother

"I'm going to marry my brother. That's my choice."

"You can't marry your brother."

"But I want to."

"You can't."

This discussion in the car went on for a while and ended in tears. Apparently my almost-five-year-old wants to marry her brother because she doesn't have to move to another home. That was a new one.

"Well, you don't have to get married if you don't want to," I tried to console.

More tears. "Yes I do! I want to be a mommy and to be a mommy I have to have a daddy! And if I marry a daddy, I have to go to another home!"

How on earth do these ideas even get into a child's head before she's even in kindergarten?

Finally she got distracted asking questions about her friend whose parents are not together. The little girl spends half her time with the mom, step-father and siblings, and half her time with her father. My daughter was under the impression that she didn't have a father. I've come to the conclusion that five-year-olds should not have to think about these things.

Oh! And it got better - she thought she had to get married at twelve, when she became a grown-up! After I dispelled that little myth, she decided that she just doesn't want to grow up.

I think I agree.

However, if she does go ahead and grow up, I'm in the market for a nice tall tower.