My five-year-old daughter is a rhetorical genius.
When I attempt to convince Clara that a two-minute living room clean-up is not a long time, or that the last piece of grilled cheese can be eaten in seconds, or that it’s always a good idea to try to use the bathroom before going on a long trip, her response is the same:
“Not to me.”
And it’s brilliant.
It’s true. Two minutes may seem like a long time to her.
It’s true. That last piece of grilled cheese might be incredibly difficult to eat.
And yes, just because I think something is a good idea does not mean that she will think the same.
“Not to me.”
Essentially, Clara is telling me that her reality and mine are not the same, and that imposing my reality on her will not work.
This is a reasonable and rational position to take. Also rhetorically brilliant.
Annoyingly so.
