Where have all the parents gone???

Why do they write children’s books where there are kids living alone? Seriously. Doesn’t someone recognize the potential fear this might cause in children that they too might someday be left to live alone? Evidently not.

Tonight, while reading a new book to the goose, which is supposed to be a simple counting story, we encountered this very problem, for Johnny lived alone… and though the story clearly states that Johnny liked living alone, the goose was quite troubled by this fact.

Goose… “Where are his mommy and daddy?”
Me…“He must be all grown-up so he doesn’t live with his mommy and daddy anymore.”
oh no… here come the tears…
Me…“what’s wrong?”
Goose…“I want to live with you and daddy.”
Me… “You will, until you’re a grown-up, which is a very long time from now.”
uh oh… more tears… that didn’t help…
Me again… “I lived with Gamma & Beba until I was WAY grown-up and married Daddy, then Daddy and I got our own house.”
Goose… “But I want to stay with you.”
Me… “You don’t have to go anywhere, I promise. You can live with Mommy and Daddy as long as you want, even when you’re a grown-up.”
(Note… this is NOT a lie, for I feel it is safe to say that she will NOT want to live with us when she’s 30)
Oh but Daddy, he had to chime in…
Wes… “You might have to start paying rent, though”
“Can you do that?” I asked the Goose.
Goose… (shaking her head no) “I don’t know anything about that kind of stuff”

And the moral of the story… ALWAYS include the whereabouts of the parents in children’s books (and movies)… always!