Interview with My Children

How well can you say you know your children?  As infants we know every detail about our children.  We know what their cries mean, their favorite position to be held and every physical attribute and from which parent they inherited it.  As our children grow from completely dependent infants to independent teenagers and then (hopefully!) self-sufficient adults we lose grasp as to all the details that come together and form their personalities.  I decided to conduct annual interviews with my children so that as I grow old and senile, and they grow older and more independent we can all look back and have a glimpse of their personalities as children.  My only regret is that I hadn't had this idea sooner for the Teenage Boy and Tween Girl.  So much of who they were has been lost in a hormonal cloud of "I don't want to", "This sucks" and "Can I go to my room now?!".  At least now they can look back to their teen and tween years and realize "Wow, Molly REALLY did know everything!" <---- Insert wishful thinking.

So here it is in randomly selected order (by that I mean whomever I could coerce into sitting with me and my lap top at the kitchen table)-

First Up! Tween Girl.  Freshly 11 years old and eager to answer my questions (after I drug her out of her room and informed her that yes, she was indeed required to participate).

1-   Favorite color?
Purple 

2- Favorite animal?
Panda Bear

3- What do you want to be when you grow up?
Teacher

 4- Favorite food? 
Anything pasta

 5-  If you could have anything in the world what would that be?
A grand piano

 6-  If you could change anything about the world what would you change?
Would make everything cheaper.  That would make everything easier on everyone
 
Future politician perhaps?


7- What is your favorite thing about yourself?
I stand up for others
 
8- Rate your parents 1-10, 1 being horrible 10 being the best.
6
 
9- Favorite celebrity-
Amy Lee from Evanesence
 
10- Favorite thing about your life right now-
Having music

Answers from Tween Girl were not difficult to get.  Her deciding on one particular answer proved to be the challenge.  I will say that I have an incredibly well rounded and secure Tween daughter.  <High-fives myself>



Next up- Diva Daughter 4.89   Will be 5 in less than a month and so full of personality I am not sure I can paint a clear enough picture with this Q&A

1-   Favorite color?
Red 
 (Sniff sniff, it's been pink ever since she could talk.  Oh how they change)

2- Favorite animal?
Sheep... But only 1
 
3- What do you want to be when you grow up?
Clothes Designer
 
4- Favorite food?
Green beans and mashed potatoes
 
5-  If you could have anything in the world what would that be?
Make up
 
6-  If you could change anything about the world what would you change?
Would leave the lights on everywhere....It's scary in the dark!
 
7- What is your favorite thing about yourself?
I cheer really loud

"This is hard mommy"


8- Rate your parents 1-10, 1 being horrible 10 being the best.
61
(I hope we stay this high in the ratings for.... Well, forever)
 

9- Favorite celebrity
Justin Beiber
 
10- Favorite thing about your life right now-
Coloring


Now that I think about it..This does capture her pretty well.


3rd up is the Teen Boy at 14.75 (yes, my genius teen boy ran the numbers and gave me all my decimals) .  He walked slowly out of his room extremely skeptical about why I was asking so many questions, but after seeing that he wasn't my first victim he sat down.  Arms crossed, fierce stare into oblivion and an arsenal of HUFFS and SIGHS.... BUT he sat down :)

1-   Favorite color?
Dark red

 2- Favorite animal?
Lion
 
3- What do you want to be when you grow up?
Not really sure........ Anything in the Culinary Arts, Psychology or Technology

"Uggggghhhh Camden why don't you have any underwear on....?!"


<Insert break for mommy while she chased the streaker> 

4- Favorite food?
Mac-N-Cheese casserole..... Iced coffee.... Wait, can it be a drink?
 
5-  If you could have anything in the world what would that be?
Drama free life
 
6-  If you could change anything about the world what would you change?
People in it.... Would change people's focus from little things.
 
7- What is your favorite thing about yourself?
My relationships with friends
 
8- Rate your parents 1-10, 1 being horrible 10 being the best.
7.5 <--- After much thought and wanting to rate us separately.  I was selfish and wanted to feed off of daddy's high marks.
 
9- Favorite celebrity-
Marylin Manson


(Teenage angst anyone?)

10- Favorite thing about your life right now-
School, because I am not at home and can be with my friends

Contrary to what you may be thinking we both walked away from this without any altercation or cuts, bruises, etc.


Last but certainly not least was my super distracted 3.5 year old that so desperately wanted to go play he gave me one word answers and stuck to them.  These are not edited.... I swear.

1-   Favorite color?
Lellow (yellow) 
 (Note- it was Pink 10 minutes ago..) 

2- Favorite animal?
A piggie. Because they do like this "SNOOOOORT"
 
3- What do you want to be when you grow up?
An airplane


Me- "Hey, didn't we just put your underwear back on!?" 



4- Favorite food?
Me- "Teen Boy quit influencing his answer!"
 A pirate...

 5-  If you could have anything in the world what would that be?
A monster

 6-  If you could change anything about the world what would you change?
A batman

 7- What is your favorite thing about yourself?
Me- "COOOOME back here!"

Baby Boy- "Shhhhhh mommy!"
 
8- Rate your parents 1-10, 1 being horrible 10 being the best.
R 

9- Favorite celebrity-
Jack the Pumpkin King 

10- Favorite thing about your life right now-
Me- "Come back here.... Last question I promise!"
 Batman





There you have it.  I encourage you to do the same.  Sit down with your children ask them how they see themselves.  The answers may surprise you!

 *Idea for interviews taken from a professional blogger (can't remember who nor where), questions formed on the fly