Saturday, January 29, 2011

Well That's A Relief

I have mentioned that growing up in an all brother house makes teaching female pronouns, challenging. It's not that we don't use she , her, hers, she's ever I do occasionally talk about myself and other girly types. But, apparantly, exposure to a word and frequent practice of a word are worlds apart.

It is a never ending source of entertainment to watch my 8 or 9 year old struggle to speak about a member of the opposite sex. "He's...uhh, hers...mmmm she's, well, what I'm trying to say is, this shoe came off that girl's foot." Never ending entertainment for others that is, it makes me feel like a communications teacher failure.

Imagine my relief this morning at hearing an 11 year old neighbor boy, also a member of an all brothers house, say, "Did you know my dog Duke was a girl? That's so weird that he was a girl but he had a boy name."

My boys nodded with empathy. "Wow, that really sucks for him," they agreed.

5 comments:

LeShel said...

that does suck for him/her/it

Barbaloot said...

Poor dog. She/he won't know how to act now.

Suz said...

They could always call her "Dukella."

Our neighbors have a dog named "Scooby," on acount that "SHE" looks like "Scooby." It is weird seeing a dog after a rip to the goomer sporting a pink finger nails and bows. I think their dog is mostly likely confused at the least.

I figure you are doing well if your child goes into the correct bathroom.

Luvs

Suz

Valerie said...

That is so funny!!!

Claudya Martinez said...

My mom's first language is Spanish and she can't get female pronouns in English. She calls everyone a he except for the occasional man that gets called a she.

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