Evolution, as discussed with a 3 1/2-year-old...
k. - Is a whale a fish?
s3k - Yes.
k. - No, it's not! Fishes lay eggs, like in Nemo, but whales have live babies, just like elephants and humans. They are called mammals.
s3k - But it looks like a fish.
k. - There are 3 kinds of animals - fish, birds and mammals. Mammals have live babies, like elephants, and whales, and humans.
s3k - Mummy, you say that we are animals, but we are not animals, we are humans.
k. - No, humans are animals too. There are plants, and stones, and animals. Plants don't move, and they don't have eyes, and they can't talk, but they can drink water and eat soil, and grow, right?
s3k - Yes.
k. - And stones don't move. But animals have eyes and talk and have legs. And we have eyes, and can talk and have legs, so we are animals.
[This is where the great persuasion starts.]
s3k - Yes, but we are not animals.
k. - Look at this picture of a mouse. It looks a bit like a human - it's standing on its legs, and it's holding cheese in its hands, and it's got ears and a nose and eyes, just like you.
s3k - Yes, but it has a tail, look, I don't have a tail.
k. - Ok, so look at mummy's back. Can you see these two holes? That's where there should have been a tail. Humans have a tail that's inside their bottom.
s3k - ...
k. - Here's a picture of a gorilla. It doesn't have a tail, and it has a bellybutton, just like you.
s3k - (looks at her bellybutton) But it's nose is different. And it doesn't wear clothes. Humans wear clothes.
k. - So if you're naked, are you no longer a human then?
s3k - The gorilla doesn't have hair.
k. - It has hair all over its body, so it doesn't need clothes to keep warm.
s3k - I have to tell daddy that when he goes out, he needs to wear clothes, over the hair on his body.
k. - So daddy is a bit like a gorilla then?
s3k - Yes, but daddy doesn't like bananas, and I don't like bananas, and Ann-Marie doesn't like bananas. I tried bananas, and I used to like them, but I don't any longer.
k. - Ok.
s3k - Look at this picture of a donkey and a horse, mummy, they are a little bit the same, except donkeys have long ears.
k. - Yes, donkeys and horses are cousins. And humans and gorillas are cousins.
s3k - I have a cousin called Ellie, but I don't have a cousin who is a gorilla.
k. - That's a fair point.
s3k - Here's the picture of the whale, mummy. It looks a bit like a fish, but it's not a fish, it's more like an elephant, because if you look at its tail, it looks like an elephant.
k. - Yes, snuffler. Also, it has live babies, and not eggs.
s3k - [Continues to tell me why pairs of animals in her book are a little bit the same, at great length]
I'm looking forward to the nursery explanations, as usual.
:-D
s3k - Yes.
k. - No, it's not! Fishes lay eggs, like in Nemo, but whales have live babies, just like elephants and humans. They are called mammals.
s3k - But it looks like a fish.
k. - There are 3 kinds of animals - fish, birds and mammals. Mammals have live babies, like elephants, and whales, and humans.
s3k - Mummy, you say that we are animals, but we are not animals, we are humans.
k. - No, humans are animals too. There are plants, and stones, and animals. Plants don't move, and they don't have eyes, and they can't talk, but they can drink water and eat soil, and grow, right?
s3k - Yes.
k. - And stones don't move. But animals have eyes and talk and have legs. And we have eyes, and can talk and have legs, so we are animals.
[This is where the great persuasion starts.]
s3k - Yes, but we are not animals.
k. - Look at this picture of a mouse. It looks a bit like a human - it's standing on its legs, and it's holding cheese in its hands, and it's got ears and a nose and eyes, just like you.
s3k - Yes, but it has a tail, look, I don't have a tail.
k. - Ok, so look at mummy's back. Can you see these two holes? That's where there should have been a tail. Humans have a tail that's inside their bottom.
s3k - ...
k. - Here's a picture of a gorilla. It doesn't have a tail, and it has a bellybutton, just like you.
s3k - (looks at her bellybutton) But it's nose is different. And it doesn't wear clothes. Humans wear clothes.
k. - So if you're naked, are you no longer a human then?
s3k - The gorilla doesn't have hair.
k. - It has hair all over its body, so it doesn't need clothes to keep warm.
s3k - I have to tell daddy that when he goes out, he needs to wear clothes, over the hair on his body.
k. - So daddy is a bit like a gorilla then?
s3k - Yes, but daddy doesn't like bananas, and I don't like bananas, and Ann-Marie doesn't like bananas. I tried bananas, and I used to like them, but I don't any longer.
k. - Ok.
s3k - Look at this picture of a donkey and a horse, mummy, they are a little bit the same, except donkeys have long ears.
k. - Yes, donkeys and horses are cousins. And humans and gorillas are cousins.
s3k - I have a cousin called Ellie, but I don't have a cousin who is a gorilla.
k. - That's a fair point.
s3k - Here's the picture of the whale, mummy. It looks a bit like a fish, but it's not a fish, it's more like an elephant, because if you look at its tail, it looks like an elephant.
k. - Yes, snuffler. Also, it has live babies, and not eggs.
s3k - [Continues to tell me why pairs of animals in her book are a little bit the same, at great length]
I'm looking forward to the nursery explanations, as usual.
:-D