is a single mama in the city, super-savvy editor, writer, video host and shameless shoe whore.
Integrity redux
Sunday, February 27, 2011 It was in between Tae Kwon Do class on Saturday and a playdate with a fellow Lego-lovin' Star Wars shawty that Lil E asked if I knew what the word integrity means.
I did. I mean, I do. Plus, I was already aware of his misconception of the word. Clearly, I could not answer outright.
"Hmmm. You tell me what it means," I said, employing that tactic parents generations back have used on kids who know exactly what they're being lured in to pretty much from the womb on. It's a strategy to see where your kids stands on multiplication tables, French vocabulary, what Eminem lyrics really mean, the Tooth Fairy and whether homework has been done.
Or in this case, where the piles of toys end up.
"It means," he said all official-like, "that you DON'T just put your toys in a pile underneath your bed when your mommy tells you to put them away."
The definition was different than the one his buddy's mom texted me. But for this six-year old, it was dead on.The real truth, though, came in the look that followed.
It was the "no, no, no...I've got this one" look -- raised eyebrow, smug smile, that pause when the onlooker is convinced a little condescending wink will follow but then PADOW! in the final milliseconds, the most innocent, ear-to-ear award-winning grin. You know those smiles, the ones that get auditioning kids cereal commercials and get small children on to viral videos when they've done some major damage to a house or baby sister with Mommy's favorite MAC lipstick and the only object of discernible monetary value in the whole house. It was one of those.
It was, I only know now because I've falled in for it a gazillion times already, to tell me he'd never, ever cheat when he was supposed to be putting toys away. Noooooo. Not him. Not my boy. I mean, look at that smile.
Oh no, my child had the right answer. According to that almost-persuasive and well-practiced look, he also has oodles of integrity. And he also still has a ton of crap shoved under his bed.
This time, I checked. The definition and the bed.
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