Percentages

**Have you ever had a child say something that you wanted to be sure to remember, because you knew it would make a great story when they were older? That's the reason I'm posting this. I tend to think I'll always remember funny things they say, but the reality is ... I forget a lot.**

The first week or so of school was kind of difficult for Ethan. I think, in retrospect, that much of it was the transition from the carefree days of summer to having to sit! and hold a pencil! and write with the pencil! Not that he has to do a whole lot of any of those things - one of the benefits of homeschooling is we can be flexible in how we complete assignments - but still, it's more than he had to do over the summer.

There was also another factor at work, it seems, to account for some of his bad attitude. On Thursday of the first week, as I was making dinner, he came out of his bedroom and we had this conversation.

Ethan: I've been thinking about attention, Mama.
Me: Oh? What about attention?
Ethan: Well. It seems to me that Alex gets 98% of your attention, and I get 2%.
Me, with my mouth agape as I considered the several hours a day of one-on-one time as we completed school: Really?
Ethan: Yes, and I think it would be much more fair if Alex got 50% and I got 50%.

We continued talking a bit, because I wanted to let him know I take his concerns seriously. And I wanted to know where he came up with this idea, too, because it seemed to me to be a little ... ah, shall we say ... inaccurate. (That's much nicer than preposterous, which would be my first choice of words!)

So here's what I found out:

Changing Alex's diaper = attention
Cutting up Alex's food so he can eat = attention
Getting Alex dressed = attention
Soothing Alex when he's hurt = attention
Encouraging Alex to pick up toys with us = attention
In fact, anything that involved any type of interaction with Alex = attention

Doing school with Ethan - doesn't count as attention
Working with Ethan in any way, including having him cook/bake with me, cleaning his room together, etc - doesn't count
Reading to Ethan - doesn't count
Listening to Ethan ramble about Legos - doesn't count

There were only two things that counted as attention: making up stories together, and actually sitting down and playing together.

So yeah, if you evaluate our days that way, he's probably right.