Have you notice how everyone who writes about their child claims he or she “is not your usual kid?”
Every. Single. One.
Some of these children are brilliant: intelligent beyond their years. Others are moody, throw tantrums, cannot possibly entertain themselves unless someone else tells them what to do or, the opposite, seclude themselves in their rooms and play all alone for hours. Still others are unusually precocious.
Aside from children whose odd behavior manifests an unusual medical condition, frankly they all sound normal to me.
It makes me wonder what people think a “usual kid” is like.
I bet you were not your usual kid, were you? How freaky unique were you? Do tell.


MY kids are PERFECT . . . but you knew that.
I am always amused by your posts where you invite your faithful readers to share some intimate or personal detail. Invariably, my instinctive response is, "I ain't gonna go there."
I guess I'm too old-fashioned for the Facebook era.
Posted by: G | November 25, 2008 at 10:36 AM
I think all kids have their uniqueness!
I played alone for hours, learned to read at 2.5 years, and I can remember being born as well as recall bits of extremely early childhood. Am I unusual in a spectacular way? Don't think so.
I never had any kids to brag about.
Posted by: writtenwyrdd | November 26, 2008 at 09:24 AM
Am I an unusual kid? Hmph. Still being the "kid" stage, I have yet to find out :D
Oh, and yeah, I hear you, Sheila. Every kid is special, but somehow it's beginning to irritate me how I'll walk up to some mother at the bus stop, make a casual commentary about their kid, and then hear a thirty minute treatise ON HOW SPECTACULAR SAID CHILD IS.
Ha. Or maybe that's just a European thing?
Posted by: Emma | November 26, 2008 at 09:42 AM
Despite constantly being told to grow up I do not remember being a kid, usual or other wise. :-)
Posted by: higgie aka Roger | November 26, 2008 at 09:12 PM
You know EXACTLY what kind of kid I was... and if you tell anyone, I'll smack you upside the head until you see God.
Posted by: JCW | November 27, 2008 at 01:27 AM
We were all pretty much normally obnoxious brats from what I recall.
Posted by: Karen | November 27, 2008 at 07:53 AM