When our new Floortime therapist walked through the front door, I told my son, “This is our new friend, Nikki. Can you say hi to Nikki?”
“Hi Nikki,” he said. “You are tall and can never be small.”
Nikki and I both looked at each other and laughed because, while it was not a “socially acceptable” comment, my son was 100% right!
My husband calls this the “honesty gland.”
If we are at a grocery store and someone gets in the “12 items or fewer” checkout line with more than 12 items, my son’s honesty gland is going to send up a red flag and call attention to the person who is not following the rules.
If we have told him we can watch a movie together “in a minute,” exactly one minute later he will stand before us and ask why we are not ready to watch the movie.
Over the years, I’ve learned that my son often says what we’re all thinking. After all, I wonder why the person with 15 items is in the 12 items or fewer line, or why someone doesn’t respond when they say they will, and I still wonder if there are a few inches in my 5’4” frame that are just waiting to sprout and grow.
One of the most important things to know about the “honesty gland,” is that it does not speak from malice or rudeness, it simply points out the truth. And don’t we all need a little more truth in our lives?
What experiences have you had with the “honesty gland”? Do you find your child’s candor easy or challenging to handle?
