I’m supposed to be reading this unit’s assignment on the Enlightenment, but I overheard something funny in the other room and thought I’d share it with you. The big two are with grandparents right now, and the little three are watching a kids’ show on Netflix/Wii in the living room.

No. 4 accidentally sat on the Wii remote, which stopped the video. No. 3 tattled to Dad that he “broke the movie,” and Dad called back, “Well, then, fix it.” No. 4 whined that he didn’t do it, and you can fill in the back-and-forth heated exchange for the next few seconds between No. 3 & No. 4.

Just when I thought Dad was going to intervene and break it up, No. 5 cut in and said, “Guys, you’re ‘upposed to click the mouse on the arrow there.” Sure enough, I heard the click of the Wii remote (it has a cursor like a mouse) and the video started back up again.

It is premature to make too many comparisons to the reading, since I’ve just begun, but from what I understand thus far, the Enlightenment is about coming to one’s own conclusions and not relying on others’ instructions. When left to their own devices (within reason, of course), the kids can often work out a solution. Sometimes I think Dad doesn’t intervene quickly enough, but perhaps I  intervene too often.