ROFLMAO!
My tweet about Tacy’s practiced introduction to her class presentation garnered some replies so funny they sent Kyle and me into fits. Surprisingly though, I didn’t get any backlash on her use of the f-bomb.
If you’ve been reading mothergoosemouse for any length of time – like maybe a week or so – you’ve probably already gathered that we’re not exactly a Leave It to Beaver kind of family. Even my review blog is called Mother Knows Best, because well, I DO. At least where it comes to kids’ clothing and DVDs that won’t make your ears and eyes bleed.
We share many of the same values as our friends and neighbors, and it’s important to us that our children learn to be independent and self-sufficient, as well as kind and polite and reasonably well-behaved. Basically, we want them to have respect for themselves and for others.
Which means that dropping an f-bomb, however funny, in a class presentation is not acceptable.
But we are major fans of the funny. Funny is what gets us through this thing called life, as Prince once said.
Okay, I’m paraphrasing.
Seriously though, a sense of humor is what makes people who are otherwise unattractive a ton o’ fun. Just take a look at the comedians out there. Nine out of ten are physically meh. But they open their mouths and they’re suddenly hot. Because they can make us laugh our asses off.
I asked Tacy once why her friends like her. That question provoked introspection that most six year olds never consider. After a few prompts, it came out that they think she’s funny. She makes a joke, they laugh, and it spurs her to perform more.
I’ve seen it myself: She does something silly – like wearing a tutu under her dress so that it puffs out like Scarlett O’Hara, or speaking at length in a shockingly good British accent – and her friends laugh like hyenas. Sometimes they join in, sometimes not. Either way, she’s having a good time, and so are they.
Granted, my child is not physically meh. She’s as cute as they come, if I may say so myself. But as we’re already teaching her, there’s way more to life than being cute.
There’s also way more to life than being smart. It’s possible to be smart without being funny – believe me, I know – but it’s fairly well impossible to be funny without being smart. There’s no direct correlation, of course; David Sedaris isn’t necessarily innately more intelligent than Stephen Hawking simply because he’s funnier. But generally speaking, a modicum of intelligence is key to making those observations and connections and turns of phrase that make us laugh.
In fact, don’t we often laugh most at the things our kids do and say that display a level of understanding beyond their years? Tacy recently reported to me that while playing World of Warcraft, another player asked her how old she was.
“What did you say?” I asked her.
“I told them, You don’t need to know that.”
“Very good.” I high-fived her.
“Yeah,” she continued, “I told them, I don’t have business cards yet.”
Maybe she’ll never have her own HBO comedy special or a prime time sitcom spin-off. But if she can make people laugh, I’m pretty sure she’ll never be without friends.
March 23rd, 2009 at 7:56 am
Oh Julie, that is priceless!
March 23rd, 2009 at 8:12 am
Funny is such a good talent (skill?) to have. And clearly Tacy is an ace!
mayberrys last blog post..Driving along in my automobile. Well, someone’s.
March 23rd, 2009 at 8:15 am
*grin*
Your 6 year old plays WoW? You sound like my kinda mom.
My 14 month old DEMANDS to watch WoW and already has a character on my account that she can make jump around. :p
RHWs last blog post..The overwhelming responsibility of being a mom (AKA all your time are belong to baby)
March 23rd, 2009 at 9:02 am
I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to be funny without being smart, unless people are laughing at your expense (and that’s not really funny).
Miss Graces last blog post..Living Green and Saving Money
March 23rd, 2009 at 9:05 am
Having a sense of humor and being funny is such a lucky lot in life. I hope she enjoys these qualities as she gets older =)
Sarah @ BecomingSarah.coms last blog post..Hey, baby!
March 23rd, 2009 at 10:32 am
My five year old has business cards – she calls them her “playdate” cards – I got them free from VistaPrint, with her name, our home phone, my name and cell and email, and Daddy’s name and cell and email, so she could hand them out. Because she refuses to learn her phone number, or refuses to tell me that she knows it.
magpies last blog post..Rainbows and Polar Bears
March 23rd, 2009 at 11:37 am
That’s pretty funny! I was actually LOLing when I read the business card bit!It’s going to be a lot of fun for the family to have a little comedian among you.
But if you can’t be funny without being smart, how do you explain Larry the Cable Guy?
caramamas last blog post..Question of the Week – Those Girls and Their Cookies
March 24th, 2009 at 7:40 am
No business cards, but a serious tool belt. I like what you’re teaching her.
Amandas last blog post..I’m Saying It
March 24th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
She’s definitely a quick wit!
Heathers last blog post..No Such Luck
March 25th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
You can’t buy that sense of humor. You can’t learn it. You just have to be born with it.
patoiss last blog post..Wordy Wednesday #53
March 29th, 2009 at 2:55 am
OMG… just popped over from Milehighmommas – I have been so afraid to tell anyone that my kids play WoW!!! I’ll be back!