I've literally re-read this thread and Portia's helpful comments in my physics/black hole thread daily over the last week. DS3 is in a major existential funk and is expressing considerable anxiety about separation from me, namely the unlikely event of my death. He has been testing more extreme (albeit safe) behaviour to determine whether my love is as unconditional as I say it is. I think I've passed this trial by fire so far. Tonight he waxed on about the logic behind selfish behaviour. He is testing his idea of God, the duality of human existence, the concept of infinity, and the division of self from others. I did NOT expect this level of existential angst in a 3 year old.
There was also the matter of his openly saying, " Mama, you can NEVER die or go away," with my dad present. My dad, unhelpfully, felt the need to weigh in with, "[DS], everyone dies at some point." argh!
ETA rant: I've been looking into children's Catholic theological resources, and most elementary curricula are of the cut and paste/fill in the blank/circle the picture of children behaving prosocially ilk. I'm having a hard time determining the appropriate scope of discussion. I can discuss these issues on a fairly scholarly level; however, call me crazy, but I don't think that 3 is the appropriate time to introduce weighty material like Aquinas' First Mover proofs.
Asynchrony, I shake my fist in your general direction!!! I just want my sweetheart boy to be at peace and not fear abandonment or prematurely grieve my future death which, God willing, will happen when DS is an elderly man himself!
I apologize for the recent repetitive theme of my posts to those who have been supportive.
Last edited by aquinas; 03/23/15 08:57 PM.
