Higher Powers

Watching my grandson's parents raise him is fascinating. Both of them are very creative, expressive people with a fine sense of what is right and not so right. Not averse to sitting on the floor behind him leaning into the curves and bouncing over the bumps of his pretend car as he drives, they still have a time out place and way of dealing with an ebullient two year old that is very effective.

It's hard sometimes. His hero is Superman and he can be coerced into most things by the simple words, Superman would do it, so when he dashed around the car the other day it was tough. I could hear the calm panic in my son's voice telling him, "Lennon, you may NOT do that!" A debate ensued where Lennon insisted that Superman would not let him get hurt.

His side was well put and if Superman was indeed real, he might have won. His father's side was much more difficult. The important thing is that Lennon listen and behave safely, but then there is the matter of this imaginary guy who is his hero. All day, every day, and whenever the world is not right, Superman is there for this little two year old and Daddy managed to preserve this by saying that we all have to help Superman because he is very busy.

I could see the dawning of something in Lennon's face. He was very quiet all the way home. Fortunately two year olds tend to let things go fairly quickly, but the age of reason approaches and disillusionments will abound if he doesn't make the transition into greater and higher powers.