My children have a way of saying things that stop me in my tracks. Usually, it isn’t anything particularly profound, just a little comment tossed into the middle of an ordinary conversation. And yet, every now and then, one of those comments stays with me. I’ll find myself replaying it later, wondering where they came up with it, what they were thinking, and how something so casually said managed to get under my skin.
Tai, my youngest, has always had a way of reminding me just how curious and unpredictable children can be. One particular moment has stayed with me. I had bought her a gorgeous blue-and-white dress for a special school event, and when she first saw it, she was thrilled. She twirled around in it, admiring the way the dress swayed with every movement. She loved it.
A few months later, however, when it was time to wear the dress again, her enthusiasm had apparently expired. She looked at me with those dark, hazel, innocent-yet-wise eyes of hers and declared, “This dress is a little last season!”
Those seven words left me speechless. Here was my kindergartner, a little girl who should have been concerned with finger painting, ribbons, tutus, and nap time, suddenly speaking like a seasoned fashion editor.
How could she possibly understand the concept of seasonal fashion? And yet, she delivered the comment with such confidence and poise that I actually started to question myself. Was I out of touch? Had I really dressed my child in something passé?
It was, of course, just a comment about a dress. But it made me realize how much children absorb from the world around them. They listen to our conversations, pick up on things we barely notice, and somehow manage to piece it all together in ways that can leave us both amused and completely caught off guard.
Moments like that are a reminder that our children are paying attention, even when we think they aren’t. And sometimes, they understand far more than we give them credit for.
Tai’s innocent yet surprisingly astute comment about her dress has stayed with me. Children have a funny way of catching us off guard, usually when we least expect it. Every now and then, they say something that makes us laugh, pause, and wonder how they could have come up with that. And maybe, if we’re paying attention, they remind us that we’re all bound to have a few “seasons” of our own.
© 2025 Addie DeRose
