* Must Love Bugs

In honor of my favorite seven year old I would like to comment on one of the biggest changes in my life since his arrival.........the willing examination of bugs. I have never liked bugs, they are categorically filthy and disgusting creatures. I understand their function in this world and I am sure that God knew what He was doing when they were created, however I avoid them whenever possible. I particularly do not like to hear the squishing and exoskeleton breaking sound you get when they are stepped or mashed in a paper towel. My handling of bugs is generally by releasing them back "into the wild" although I prefer to shout to Judah to handle the issue if he is available. I do not feel like I am reversing the progress of womanhood by doing this. I am capable of handling it myself, I am choosing not to and delegating to a more willing person.

Despite this abhorrence of bugs I find myself stopping to examine many creepy things. When I started bug examination my primary motivation was that I did not want to instill in my son a fear as a small child, just as I attempt to remain calm during storms and when getting on airplanes. I have no desire for my children to labor under my stress. In efforts to appear as though bugs were "no big deal" I would calmly remark on the types of bugs we encountered when my son was a toddler........ look an ant! (or a spider, or a caterpillar, or a beetle, etc).

In classic boy fashion I no longer need to point out bugs, my son will gladly point them out to me. My new task is to look interested and attempt to answer the many questions he has regarding name and function. I believe my son has learned that bugs belong outside and one of his favorite days is the Terminix day when a very helpful man named John comes to rid my home of bugs. My son finds this activity fascinating and has been known to follow him around jabbing in the dirt to help kill bugs. We have bug books, bug flash cards, and little plastic bugs in abundance. I squelch the inner "yuck" and calmly examine the creature crawling on the deck when my son comes running. I hope one day he realizes what an effort that is for me and that my bug examination is a way to see how much I love him. To parent a seven year old boy you MUST LOVE BUGS.

(A side note on this technique - it has not been as effective on my daughter who still runs screaming from her bug wielding brother.)