Friday 26 June 2009

Boy talk

In case you are the lucky owner of little girls with no insight into the world of little boys, let me fill you in. I've just driven back from an outlet centre about 30 minutes away. This was the (pretty much one-sided) conversation my son had with me all the way home:

Son: Mum, you know the Transformers?
Me: Mhmm. (not really but sure I'll go with you on this)
Son: Well you know the bee guy? Well he is super powerful. Crossed bones is also super powerful, but not as powerful as bee guy.
Me: Oh right. Why's that?
Son: Well crossed bones is powerful. He goes THWAK BOOM BOOF. But bee guy, he goes POW BASH THUNK KAPOW
Me: Wow. That sounds pretty powerful
Son: But there's that other guy. You know. What's he called again? You know the slime guy?
Me: Not really my darling. I've never seen transformers.
Son: (as though I'm not even there) Well slime guy always attacks bee guy, but crossed bones goes THWACK BASH to both of them. And then they go KAPOW, SMASH, AAARGGHHH, DOOF, BASH, AAAARRRGGGHHH. Come here sucker! I'm going to smash your head. KAPOW, SMASH. No, you die slime man. BOOF. I'm going to steal your power. You will have no power crossed bones. No! You'll have no power bee guy. SMASH. SMACK. BASH. BLEEUGH. AARGGH

This goes on for quite some time.

Eventually the killing action from the back seat is over and he says:
Mum, when can I get a transformer toy?

Funnily, I'm not convinced I'm going to buy one anytime soon.

9 comments:

Coding Mamma (Tasha) said...

Fascinating insight, thank you. (And i'm little relieved to be having two girls - sorry!)

My sister works in a pre-school setting and she's booked in to do some training called 'Superheroes and weapons'. The idea is that, after years of discouraging boys from playing energetically and with toy weapons, it's come to light that this was probably the wrong thing and, instead, we should be embracing their energy and imagination and harnassing it to help them learn and grow, and so on. One of the problems is that the majority of people working in childcare/pre-school are women, and we (generally) find it more difficult to do engage in or understand this kind of play.

Anyway, it is interesting how boys do tend to gravitate to this sort of play, despite attempts to stop it!

Ali said...

Boys are wonderful in a completely insane sort of way, arent' they? I have an almost 4yo who is similarly obsessed with the transformers. Unfortunately, with the upcoming birthday, I don't think we'll get out of purchasing something transformery.

Tara@Sticky fingers said...

So funny and so very true!
My son also has these one-sided conversations with me - sometimes Transformers, usually superheroes, occassionally sport.
I think it's just great that they can get so passionate about something that they don't actually require someone else to have a conversation with. You're basically just there as a sounding board!

bevchen said...

This made me laugh :-D
My brother (now 18) used to be into Power Rangers. Figures...

Nicola said...

My boys are so similar to yours! I have seemingly identical 'conversations' on a daily basis. No wonder I am accused of not listening so regularly. Is it any wonder that I spend a lot of my time just 'tuned out' for my own sanity??

Also just wanted to thank you for your recent comment. I really feel for you in that situation. xx

A Modern Mother said...

Our conversations are more along the lines of "Hannah Montana is really Miley with a wig" and "I am beautiful, aren't I mummy?"

Anne aka mum-e said...

I also have girls. But my five-year-old is into Ben Ten and Power Rangers and says 'I love violence' (!) so might as well be a boy. Sigh.

Tim Atkinson said...

Thank goodness Charlie's only into trains and buses!

Flooring Contractors Syracuse said...

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