Demise of the Dinosaur

The other day I overheard one of Adam’s teachers lecturing a group of his classmates on the proper etiquette for playing dinosaurs. Yes, apparently there is a right and a wrong way to play with dinosaurs – at least within the confines of the Fireflies classroom. I was not witness to the original paleontological faux paux, but by the tone and context of the conversation at hand and I am guessing one of these young pre-schoolers had had the audacity to growl. Gasp. They all sat there, wide-eyed soaking in the lesson on how growling dinosaurs are scary and how it would be more appropriate for these prehistoric beasts to be strolling for food or taking care of baby dinosaurs.

I had almost wished that my child had been one of the poor souls having to endure this lesson on “friendly” dinosaur play because then it would have been my business to tell her – in a diplomatic, non-growling type of way – that she’s full of shit. Dinosaurs growl, they fight. Has she never seen Land Of The Lost? There is nothing “friendly” about dinosaurs – except maybe Barney but that’s a completely different life lesson in tolerance and acceptance. If you don’t want the kids growling, don’t give them dinosaurs. It’s like giving them race cars and telling them not to make tire-screeching noises.

I guess maybe I’m a little more critical of this because I have a boy. Boys are loud, boisterous and love things that crash, destroy, fly and growl. This is ingrained into their souls and brains and almost anything, from carrot sticks to a piece of gravel, put into their chubby little fingers will be turned into some kind of flying machine shooting lasers at the bad guys within a matter of minutes. And to squash this imagination, to condemn the essence of what being a young boy is, to me is senseless and detrimental. Not to mention it is lessons like these along with other such hits as – everyone wins and everyone gets a turn that is making my son a passive, wallflower weenie that doesn’t understand that no one on his pre-school soccer team is going to “give” him a turn. He needs to take it. Just like he is going to need to take that college scholarship if he wants it, take that job promotion and take that chance on the girl of his dreams. Of course I want my son to be friendly, forgiving, sensitive and empathetic, but very little in life will be handed out. We need to take it. And sometimes we even need to growl to get it. Go get it , Adam.