Graffiti

Ask parents how their children act (or react) in different situations, and chances are good that mums and dads make wrong guess half of the time. Just don't pretend you know more about your kids than you do, because you don't.

During the festive lunch last Sunday, I entertained my friend's daughter by making a few drawings. It turned out that I had chosen an unfinished page of my daughter's sketch book. By the time I realised my mistake, I had nearly used up the whole page. My daughter cried. It's a matter of unauthorised graffiti, I know, but also perhaps a wee bit of jealousy.

So I vowed never to "invade" my daughter's drawing without asking. But some vows are made to be broken, right?

I went to a wedding party with my daughter this Sunday. With an eye for subject to draw and a deft style, Jasmine quickly pulled up chair and settled down with her own picture of wedding cake. After a moment I noticed my friend's two-year-old girl and thought that it would be a good idea to invite her to share my daughter's colour pencils. And she did. My daughter actually gave her a new paper to scribble all over.

Wow. Good girl.

I let the two girls sit side by side. Everything seemed fine.

But this was not exactly what happened. Or at any rate, this wasn't what I was told on my way home. "Dad, I want to tell you something good,"my daughter said. "Olivia scribbled on my paper, just next to my wedding cake."

A long exhale. (Unauthorised graffiti again - oh my!) "How did you feel?"

"It's okay," my daughter answered. "I mean, Olivia used the black colour pencil, and I took that as the shadow of my wedding cake. I added some more black colour. It works."

Amazing.