He DID NOT Learn That From Me!

I enjoyed a very, pleasant weekend back in New Jersey - hanging out with the family. I was even able to accompany my nephews for their haircuts....they always look so cute when they're done getting their buzz cuts.

The barber shop they go to has a wall full of pictures - pictures of all the faces that pass through the shop to get their hair cut. I got to see the family pictures - one of my brother-in-law with one nephew and one of my sister with the other nephew. Very cute indeed. The wall, however, reminded me of a possible match.com board...like the dry cleaner that had pictures of all their single patrons looking for love. I knew that wasn't the intent of the barber shop but I couldn't help but think it.

As my sister, my oldest nephew and I were sitting against the wall waiting for my brother-in-law to get done, I would turn to look at a few pictures on the wall....my oldest nephew was also looking at people's pictures - naming people that he thought these strangers looked like. He did come upon this one girl's picture where his first reaction was "Eww." My sister scolded him a little because it's not polite to say that about someone's picture, especially when you're in public, and you say it loudly. She didn't tell him all this but this was the intent. When I looked at the picture he was looking at, it was of a girl (probably in her 20s) with lip and nose piercings...reminded me of Goth. I can understand why he would be 'scared.' We couldn't exactly explain her look as 'Halloween' since it was June.

We continued to sit there and both boys were just running around, not able to sit still. Then my oldest nephew went over to my sister and whispered loudly, "Chris is F-A-T." Apparently Chris's picture was over my sister's shoulder and this was the impression my nephew had of Chris. When he said those words (remember, it was a loud whisper), I nervously sat there thinking, 'Oh my God, did he learn that from me? I don't say things like that in front of him, do I? I can be mean but I would never deliberately say anything like that in front of impressionable young minds!' I looked over at my sister as she was finishing up her second scold and I'm like, "Where did he learn that?" Of course the whole thing reminded me of something I would have done when I was seven, but curiosity made me ask where he might have learned such a thing.

"Where do you think? School." So that's what they're teaching him in school...scary people where face piercings and we don't say fat when describing someone, we spell it to spare their feelings (and on an off chance they can't spell themselves). But I guess it's all natural and normal - kids can be cruel and it all bounces off one kid to the next. I was there, I know how it was. Some might even say (ahem) that I was a bully back in the day....

But one thing is for sure....my nephew did not learn name calling from me....