Debate Analysis From One (10-year-old) Debate Watcher

[Shana A]

Debate Analysis From One Debate Watcher
Posted October 8, 2008

http://radnichole.wordpress.com/2008/10/08/debate-analysis-from-one-debate-watcher/

I haven't been doing political blogging, although I thought I'd make an exception today.

We, Catherine and I, watched the debate via live feed from CBS last night. We neither made much of an analysis of it, in fact, it wasn't our idea to watch it at all. Instead Ian, our ten-year old, asked if we could watch it on the computer as he wanted to see it.

He was intent throughout the give and take. I think he made one comment about it during the hour and one-half of the presentation. Afterwards it was well past his none o'clock bedtime and we did our usual walking upstairs with him, tucking him in and hugging and kissing him.

As he lay in the bed we asked him if he thought the debate and watching it had been good.

[NicholeW.]

I kinda changed the title on the blog, Z. Hope you don't mind my making the change here as well.

N~

[Shana A]

I kinda changed the title on the blog, Z. Hope you don't mind my making the change here as well.

N~

No problem!

Z

[TamTam]

Wow.  That was amazing and awesome.  He could be the next big blogger, I'm telling ya.

[NicholeW.]

Wow.  That was amazing and awesome.  He could be the next big blogger, I'm telling ya. =

Thanks, Tam. He's my baby.

Well, maybe not just yet as the world's greatest blogger though. Getting home on time when he's playing with friends seems beyond him right now. In fact, right now!

He's a good kid, and sometimes he just melts my heart and leaves my jaw dropped all at the same time.

I did get this huge hug this afternoon when he got home from school. I'd sent his teacher the excerpt of his conversation from the blog. She says he amazes her a lot as well. I read him all of it, my note to her, her note to me and the blog entry.

"O, mom, thank you so much!! Wow, I'm gonna be famous?!!" ~ Well, maybe not quite famous, honey. Not all that many people read me. ~

"Well, they should!! You're the greatest mom ever!! *hug* Ya know, when I grow up and make my fortune you are going to be so well taken care of, Mom. You're just the best. Thank you. I love you. Now, can I go out and play? I don't have school tomorrow; it's Yom Kippur!! Yah!!!"

Get the idea? *heart melting again*

Yep, adult-child and such a love. I was crying and laughing and just brimming over with ... I'm not even really sure. Admiration, love and awe? Something like that. O... o, my son, my son. OK, crying my eyes out again. Better run.

Nichole

[TamTam]

He sounds very eloquent. Not just 'for a ten year-old,' but for anybody.

[NicholeW.]

I suppose he is. He's never been "talked to like a child." A large vocabulary that mostly gets used. Tonight he had a query of my partner while she was talking to him: "What does hence mean, Cat?"

I'm afraid we use pretty much "big" words and sentence structures with him and he uses them as well. Unless he's with his buds, then it's down and dirty.

He's a very relational child. Loves to interact with others. Very empathic and a movie maven, a sports  (football) freak and a greenie. Loves camping and hiking and playing basketball with his buds, riding his scooter, playing football, reading, computer games (some) pretty well-rounded and able to relate to people on different levels.

Like I said, he amazes me a lot. He alternates between remembering everything about some things: a reference tonight about a scene from Meaning of Life (Monty Python) to remembering nothing about some things: "I forgot I was supposed to be home at six. I was enjoying my time at Connor's house."

Yep, my guy is quite a fella. *smile*

Nichole 

[Silk]

Oh, dear heavens! I was so opinionated when I was that age! I was an avid supporter of Perot in two different elections, and I thought Al Gore was a sleazebag in 1995. Now I wish Perot would run again, and I know Al Gore is a sleazebag! My, but so little has changed.

You know, having strong opinions on a subject really impairs your powers of observation. If you really let go of your opinions and truly take in what you see, you see a lot more. This is probably the reason that ten year olds sometimes sound more educated than adults in matters of politics. Their minds are untainted by dogma or partisanship. They simply take in more, partially as a result of this fact.