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The 4-year Old Menace to Society



She seems cute and innocent, right? Well, she is cute. But she is far from innocent. I have two other children (her older siblings) all too willing to throw her under the bus when it comes time to place blame.

Just this morning I had my 8-year old describe in detail how Jerica (pictured) ripped a toy shopping cart from her grasp. The 8-year old wanted me to retrieve it for her. 'I'm not going in there,' was my reply, 'not if she can overpower people twice her size.'

No more than 20 minutes later, my 6-year old son showed me how his 4-year old sister was strong-arming him and throwing him up against the wall, as if she were some insane member of the Mob telling a cohort exactly how it's done around here. (By the way, there is not much funnier entertainment than watching your son reenact this event by grabbing his own collar and throwing himself up against the wall.)

I didn't buy it. After all, this little girl was idly standing by practicing her perfect princess smile while batting her eyes. How could I believe she was capable of such brutality? Then again...

Doesn't darkness often masquerade as light? How many other seemingly innocent things am I allowing into my life that are actually weapons of mass destruction? I guess it's true what they say about judging a book by its' cover, because when Jerica was asked about these accusations, a slow smile spread across her face. Guilty as charged.

Truth is to be sought after, no matter what it looks like.
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