I took the kids to the grocery store with me because I love taking my kids into public.
Explaining Lent and Fat Tuesday to the Children
I guess I am a self-punisher.
It builds character. The punishing.
And MAN, have I earned my fair share of character in these 10+ years of mothering.
It was Fat Tuesday… and the grocery store folks were wearing Mardi Gras beads.
Being the “with it” kind of gal that I am, I asked, “Why the beads, yo? I love the bling!”
She was all, “FAT TUESDAY … yadda, yadda, yadda …Mardi Gras!”
Oh. Right.
As we walked away, the questions came from the kids: “What’s Fat Tuesday? What’s Mardi Gras?”
I said something about Lent.
“What’s Lent?”
What’s with the inquisition?! Kids and questions…
I boiled it down for them: on Fat Tuesday people get to indulge the day before giving up something they love for 40 days.
Then, as moms do, I went straight into filling them in on their chores for the day.
No time to waste.
Joel (10): Can we work really hard all day today? Then… we can give up working for LENT?!
Me: You have to give up something you LOVE, dude.
From the back seat, my sweet 7 year-old daughter contributes her two cents..
I love work.
Stinkers.
I am sooooo out-numbered.
If you are here looking for information on actually explaining Lent to your kiddos, here is an article that you might find a bit more helpful that a story about my kids trying to get out of chores for forty days… How to Talk to Kids About Lent.
