A linguistic transgender?
Polish - which is what you have to speak when you live here - is an overly complex language that is very resistant to upgrades and simplifications though it has, like all things old world, it's many charms. One of the drags of speaking Polish is that you have to conjugate verbs AND nouns according to gender, which is particularly tough to master for young speakers like Felek. He is constantly getting mixed up and refering to himself doing something as though he were a girl. Though we know this is just a beginners mistake and a cute one at that, we do our best to sort him out each time until he gets that hang of it.
Or IS it a begginners mistake?
Felek said - I rode my bike. (but in girl form)
So his father N took it upon himself to give a lengthier explanation as to why this is wrong by going into the whole shpeel about boys having a "birdie" (as they're called in polish) and girls having naught but a hole. At this Felek defensively concluded- I must be a girl with a birdie, then.
When I went into this with Felek a week earlier, explaining that I, not he, could use the feminine because I had a hole, he pondered a minute and then asked to see it. Doh! We quickly went on to discuss weather Zig Zag McQueen was in fact faster then The King of Dinaco and left it at that.
The interesting question here is what exactly is going on in this feisty little three year old's head. I can see two possiblities: 1) he's not happy to have his birdie define his gender and 2)he's being very male in his dialogue with his dad.
I actually want to go into this second one for a sec, because I have been watching Felek with his dad and other kids and believe I can see a difference in the interactions between boys and girls. Espcially at home. Felek, and N have a great, though singularly masculine relationship. Watching them from aside I can actually see the maleness in thier dialogue. When Felek and N have at it, it is not about what is right but about who will win. It's a fight and the goal is to not capitulate. When I argue wtih Felek there's much less escalation and the come down is softer because I find a way to let my son win AND do what I want him to. The boys take the barebone fight over who gets to bury it.
So when I explained about the birds and the holes, Felek wanted to explore the issue fruther. When N explained to Felek that he had misspoken by using the birdie, Felek responded by presenting proof, that he in fact had spoken correctly. Sneaky! Or....maybe he really IS a girl with a birdie.
Or IS it a begginners mistake?
Felek said - I rode my bike. (but in girl form)
So his father N took it upon himself to give a lengthier explanation as to why this is wrong by going into the whole shpeel about boys having a "birdie" (as they're called in polish) and girls having naught but a hole. At this Felek defensively concluded- I must be a girl with a birdie, then.
When I went into this with Felek a week earlier, explaining that I, not he, could use the feminine because I had a hole, he pondered a minute and then asked to see it. Doh! We quickly went on to discuss weather Zig Zag McQueen was in fact faster then The King of Dinaco and left it at that.
The interesting question here is what exactly is going on in this feisty little three year old's head. I can see two possiblities: 1) he's not happy to have his birdie define his gender and 2)he's being very male in his dialogue with his dad.
I actually want to go into this second one for a sec, because I have been watching Felek with his dad and other kids and believe I can see a difference in the interactions between boys and girls. Espcially at home. Felek, and N have a great, though singularly masculine relationship. Watching them from aside I can actually see the maleness in thier dialogue. When Felek and N have at it, it is not about what is right but about who will win. It's a fight and the goal is to not capitulate. When I argue wtih Felek there's much less escalation and the come down is softer because I find a way to let my son win AND do what I want him to. The boys take the barebone fight over who gets to bury it.
So when I explained about the birds and the holes, Felek wanted to explore the issue fruther. When N explained to Felek that he had misspoken by using the birdie, Felek responded by presenting proof, that he in fact had spoken correctly. Sneaky! Or....maybe he really IS a girl with a birdie.
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