Hard To Explain

Do all parents think their children are really intelligent?

In the States between certain hours, the road speeds in 'school zones' drop from 30/40/45mph or whatever, to 20mph between two road markers.  Usually it's around 8-9am and 2.30-4.30pm, but the times, distances of driving slower, and speed that you change to, vary from school to school.

Today we were driving back from the park just before lunch time when we suddenly slowed down from 45 to 20mph.  Toots asked why we were going slower and I explained it's because we're passing a school and the signs say we have to slow down at lunch time when the children are in school.  A couple of miles down the street we passed another long low building and some playing fields.  "Is that a school?" Toots asked, which it was.  "Why aren't we slowing down for this one".  Well, we don't for some reason: at the Catholic school we only slow down in the morning and the afternoon, but not over lunch time.

It doesn't sound like much, but I thought that was really observant for a three year old.

Later on around tea time on the way to swimming lessons we passed the Catholic school again.  "Why are we not slowing down now, it's the afternoon?"  Well, it was after half four and the school children weren't around.  But then on another street we passed another school that asked us to slow down between 8am and 5.30pm when school was in session, so this time I did slow down.  "Why are children still in this school if it's tea time?" Toots asked.  I really, really, don't know.

On the way home from swimming she asked what a 'thingamajig' is.  And I thought explaining why and when we slow down in school zones was tough!