Parrots

Bedtime Theology with the 3 yo...  

No parrots seen while birdwatching

(During bedtime prayers)

Me: Did you know you can pray to God anytime and anywhere?

3 yo: And even if you can’t see God, God can hear you.

Me: Yes, that’s right! Wow, that’s such a good point.

3 yo: And even if you can’t see God, God loves you.

My first (internal) response to this precious interchange was "my kid is so adorable/smart/faithful/on the right track for life -- good job me!" My second (internal) response was "he's also just parroting things I've said dozens of times." 

Kids repeat things we say and do, for better and for worse. My preschooler is a lover; he's generally glued to my hip and is delighted to mimic my words and deeds. But this is my third kid and I know how it eventually goes: first the adoration, later the eye roll. 

So if my youngest child, right now, is just parroting all the nice things I say about Jesus, what good does it do later in life, when it comes to faith development? What does he even understand about God? How might he make all of this parroted language his own?

These questions are too deep for the 10:43 PM when I'm writing this, so instead I decided to look up some articles about parrots. Turns out, according to the Audubon Society, that parrots talk for similar reasons as tiny humans -- they want to fit in. The article says that parrots talk so that they can integrate into a household as though the people are its "flock members." We all just want to fit in; we all, at some point, copy what others around us say. 

But can a parrot understand what it is saying? The Audubon Society page says yes, in a way. Parrots can definitely understand context (like saying "hello" when someone enters the room). But with training, according to the article, some birds can understand the names of foods and objects. One parrot learned to identify shapes, colors and quantities up to eight. Pretty good for a parrot!

Maybe my preschooler is a bit like a parrot. He's not really tracking who and where and what God is, but he's getting some context. I speak about God in a gentle and loving voice, reading stories about Jesus helping and healing others. Our church is full of friendly people, a welcoming Sunday school class and a bunch of fun toys. Something deeper must be absorbed from these contexts.

And as he grows, the learning continues (this is called discipleship in the Lutheran tradition and you're never really done). I memorized a lot of names and dates and facts in Confirmation class, and they were useful to a point. But the real learning came when I integrated them into my life in a way that no Sunday school teacher could have taught me - I had to live to learn them. 

We'll keep parroting on here, and see what God can do with these little crumbs.