Matricide, Anyone?

Loveys have all sort of uses, I know. Lately, Emmit's role has been to manifest all the bad habits and disconcerting personality traits we actively try to discourage in Tai. Poor kid needs an outlet, I guess. Emmit, who was once nothing but a sweet, lovable duck, is now officially a Bad Influence on Tai.

Some examples:
"Emmit like to watch movies with guns"
"Emmit likes fighting with swords"
"Emmit said he hates me"
"Emmit thinks it's funny when people die"


Part of me thinks this is a very healthy thing for Tai. He uses Emmit when he wants to talk about taboo or difficult things. "Emmit has questions about guns -- how do they work? -- what's inside them? -- how do they kill you?" I explain patiently and calmly to Emmit as best I can, trying to impart only factual knowledge and not condone violence.

Then, the other night, after a long discussion with Emmit about violence and appropriate behavior and language, I was tucking Tai into his bed and he told me, "Emmit is whispering to me right now. He's telling me to kill you."

So I locked myself in my Panic Room and alerted the authorities that my life was in danger.

OK, not really. I whispered in Tai's ear that no matter what Emmit says I know that he (Tai) is growing up to be a kind and gentle person and that I love him. He was practically asleep when I tiptoed out of the room.


I survived the night without any attacks on my life. And I'm not really worried about Tai becoming violent. I know he's just curious. What I worry about is making it worse with my parenting. When we make things like "gun play" taboo, he naturally becomes obsessed with it. But I'm not ready to go ahead and give him free reign to get it out of his system either. I can't stand the thought of my little boy running around pretending to shoot friends or family members with pretend (even invisible) guns.


I didn't major in Psych, but isn't he suposed to want to kill his dad so he can have me all to himself? Perhaps he watches too much Family Guy.