Mommy, where's Dr. Seuss?
Um, he died.
Why did he die?
Michael, all living things die.
Are you living?
Yes.
Are you going to die?
Not until I get very, very old.
But if you die, who is going to take care of me? I don't know how to drive.
Michael, by the time I die, you will know how to drive, I promise.
You promise?
I promise. Michael, you know Nanny? She's my Mommy, and she is still alive. You are going to grow up, and get married, and have kids, and I'm still going to be alive.
I hope whoever I marry knows how to drive because I need to someone to drive me places when you die.
Michael, I think you'll be ok.
Mommy, I don't want you to die.
Michael, I'm sorry to tell you this but there is not much I can do about it.
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
awww… I can’t wait to meet this guy!
Mia has been obsessed with death, especially mine, for about 6 months. We should get these two together and let them hash it out.
Aww, Michael is the cutest – so concerned about driving. Alex is creepily aware of all things dying too. And much to my chagrin, he states very matter-of-factly that he’ll die before all of us. Really, I hope it’s just some odd age-related fascination.
I hate those questions!!!!!!!! I think you handled it perfectly.
It’s kind of adorable how concerned he is about how he’s going to get around without his personal chauffeur.
I call my grandmother “Nanny” too… I never met anyone else who did before! (Well, other than family members.)
Aw nuts. I’m so not ready for this conversation.
Man Michael is cute.
That conversation is adorably heart breaking.
Oh that made me cry.
Oh gosh I am totally dreading having this conversation. Dr. Seuss you are so fired!
It’s these type of conversations that make me wish I had a parenting fairy who could drop in and tell me exactly what to say!
Still, I hope his wife can drive.
Dr. Seuss has some explaining to do, doesn’t he?
We’ve actually talked a lot with The Bug about death (she’s 5) because there are a couple of people who have died in her lifetime, who we talk about a lot. We’ve talked about why kids die (a 4 year old from her daycare was murdered), where “G-G” went when she died (her great grandmother), how the man in ElderCare (next door to her child care center) got sick and “passed away.” But she’s never really focused on us, Mama and Papa, dying. But everytime it comes up I hold my breath for that conversation.
My son calls my mom ‘Nanny’ too!!!!!!
We’ve told him that people just go to heaven and he seems cool with that-
Oh, b/c he asked if there are cars in heaven and we told him yes- so he’s cool with heaven now.
That went better than the time my husband told one of my young children that Mr. Rogers was dead. That went very poorly.
I love what kids reveal to be their biggest worries. “But who will drive me?”
So poignant, and yet so funny with all his driving concerns.
Hello! Thanks for post at my blog, I had a very similiar conversation with my DD today but she requested I write down my recipes. The things they think of…lol.