I have blogged about Maura before. She's my granddaughter and a pretty neat kid as I hope you too will find when you read this interview.
Me: Where do you live Maura?
Maura: Boston
Me: Where is that?
Maura: MA
Me: Where is MA?
Maura: It’s a State.
Me: But where is it?
Maura: (Pause) In New England
Me: How old are you?
Maura: Eight
Me: Tell me about being eight?
Maura: I just turned eight so I don’t know much about it but it’s fun so far.
Me: What grade?
Maura: Second Grade
Me: What do you think the biggest challenge is for second graders?
Maura: They get embarrassed by their parents.
Me: What might a parent do that is embarrassing?
Maura: Like they might do kids stuff.
Me: Like what?
Maura: Well, (long pause) well. Like if …they like… if it’s a kid pool party for kids and if a parent goes in the pool and like they play with the kids.
Me: So how do you handle embarrassing situations like that?
Maura: Well what I do is wait it through and when we leave and then say could you please stop it, it is making me embarrassed?
Me: Do you think parents listen?
Maura: Sometimes. If (you) say your opinion and stand up for yourselves. Then yes.
Me: We have a new president. What do you think is the most positive thing about him?
Maura: A good thing?
Me: Yes.
Maura: Well he wants to build roads. He wants to have people build roads.
Me: What do you think is something that is not so good about him?
Maura: He doesn’t want Mexican people to go into our Country.
Me: If you were president what would be the biggest thing on your agenda?
Maura: If I were president I feel like I cannot bring peanut butter. But I feel bad for the kids who can’t eat peanut butter. So I would have a table that is peanut butter free and have the kids sit there.
Me: How would it be though if you had to sit at a peanut free table and your friends were at the other table how would you feel about that?
Maura: Well..(Thinking)
Me: It must be hard being president. When you make one decision it affects other decisions.
Maura: Yeah.
Me: What is your favorite sports?
Maura: Gymnastics, lacrosse, track and basketball
Me: Which one are you going to stay with the longest?
T Maura: Track and Lacrosse
Me: You seem to have cool parents? What is one trait best about them?
Maura: My mom is kind and sweet and my dad is funny.
Me: You have an interesting Gaia and Poppy. (Laughing) What is good about them?
Maura: Well Gaia is healthy and Poppy is nice.
Me: (Laughing) I want to be nice.
Maura: (Laughs) Gaia is nice (too).
Me: What is a challenge about being eight years old?
Maura: Nothing
Me: Nothing? If you had to pick a challenge?
Maura: Nothing (laughing)
Me: No thing? (Laughing)
Maura: (Laughing.) None
Me: What do you think it is the most important characteristic for an eight year old?
Maura: What do you call someone who doesn’t disclude someone? Doesn’t matter if they are mean or nice—they include everyone. I (also) don’t like someone who takes over the game. I like people who let others take their turn.
Me: So being nice, inclusive and letting others take a turn?
Maura: Yes
Me: What do you think is the most important thing a teacher has?
Maura: Being smart. My teacher is really smart. She really explains things.
Me: What is the most important thing that a parent has?
Maura: Niceness.
Me: What about a business?
Maura: Helpfulness.
Me: Helping the people there?
Maura: Yes
Me: Tell me about you?
Maura: I am nice but I am sensitive
Me: Do you think it is a good quality (being sensitive)?
Maura: Yes, if you do something bad or mean and don’t feel bad then that isn’t good. Sometimes it can be bad though.
Me: They see your vulnerability?
Maura: What is that?
Me: Your defenses are down and people can take advantage of it?
Maura: Yes. My friend Courtney she cries a lot and is very dramatic over little things.
People make fun of her and say ‘ you cry a lot you are such a baby.’ I try to stand up for her and say people can cry.
Me: Do people make fun of you for crying?
Maura: No. I don’t cry at school. I only cry if I have a friend over and something mean gets said and (I) feel bad.
Me: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Maura: A teacher or a news reporter.
Me: What grade?
Maura: 3rd grade. Not too old that they are sassy but not too young that they are crazy
Me: What advice would you give a kindergartener?
Maura: Don’t goof off. Because you can get into trouble
Me: What advice would you tell another kid younger?
Maura: Be yourself and always be yourself. Some people were nice in kindergarten but they saw other kids being sassy and the joined in. Just be yourself.
(“The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.” Joseph Campbell)
Me: Thank you.
Maura: You’re welcome
Me: Where do you live Maura?
Maura: Boston
Me: Where is that?
Maura: MA
Me: Where is MA?
Maura: It’s a State.
Me: But where is it?
Maura: (Pause) In New England
Me: How old are you?
Maura: Eight
Me: Tell me about being eight?
Maura: I just turned eight so I don’t know much about it but it’s fun so far.
Me: What grade?
Maura: Second Grade
Me: What do you think the biggest challenge is for second graders?
Maura: They get embarrassed by their parents.
Me: What might a parent do that is embarrassing?
Maura: Like they might do kids stuff.
Me: Like what?
Maura: Well, (long pause) well. Like if …they like… if it’s a kid pool party for kids and if a parent goes in the pool and like they play with the kids.
Me: So how do you handle embarrassing situations like that?
Maura: Well what I do is wait it through and when we leave and then say could you please stop it, it is making me embarrassed?
Me: Do you think parents listen?
Maura: Sometimes. If (you) say your opinion and stand up for yourselves. Then yes.
Me: We have a new president. What do you think is the most positive thing about him?
Maura: A good thing?
Me: Yes.
Maura: Well he wants to build roads. He wants to have people build roads.
Me: What do you think is something that is not so good about him?
Maura: He doesn’t want Mexican people to go into our Country.
Me: If you were president what would be the biggest thing on your agenda?
Maura: If I were president I feel like I cannot bring peanut butter. But I feel bad for the kids who can’t eat peanut butter. So I would have a table that is peanut butter free and have the kids sit there.
Me: How would it be though if you had to sit at a peanut free table and your friends were at the other table how would you feel about that?
Maura: Well..(Thinking)
Me: It must be hard being president. When you make one decision it affects other decisions.
Maura: Yeah.
Me: What is your favorite sports?
Maura: Gymnastics, lacrosse, track and basketball
Me: Which one are you going to stay with the longest?
T Maura: Track and Lacrosse
Me: You seem to have cool parents? What is one trait best about them?
Maura: My mom is kind and sweet and my dad is funny.
Me: You have an interesting Gaia and Poppy. (Laughing) What is good about them?
Maura: Well Gaia is healthy and Poppy is nice.
Me: (Laughing) I want to be nice.
Maura: (Laughs) Gaia is nice (too).
Me: What is a challenge about being eight years old?
Maura: Nothing
Me: Nothing? If you had to pick a challenge?
Maura: Nothing (laughing)
Me: No thing? (Laughing)
Maura: (Laughing.) None
Me: What do you think it is the most important characteristic for an eight year old?
Maura: What do you call someone who doesn’t disclude someone? Doesn’t matter if they are mean or nice—they include everyone. I (also) don’t like someone who takes over the game. I like people who let others take their turn.
Me: So being nice, inclusive and letting others take a turn?
Maura: Yes
Me: What do you think is the most important thing a teacher has?
Maura: Being smart. My teacher is really smart. She really explains things.
Me: What is the most important thing that a parent has?
Maura: Niceness.
Me: What about a business?
Maura: Helpfulness.
Me: Helping the people there?
Maura: Yes
Me: Tell me about you?
Maura: I am nice but I am sensitive
Me: Do you think it is a good quality (being sensitive)?
Maura: Yes, if you do something bad or mean and don’t feel bad then that isn’t good. Sometimes it can be bad though.
Me: They see your vulnerability?
Maura: What is that?
Me: Your defenses are down and people can take advantage of it?
Maura: Yes. My friend Courtney she cries a lot and is very dramatic over little things.
People make fun of her and say ‘ you cry a lot you are such a baby.’ I try to stand up for her and say people can cry.
Me: Do people make fun of you for crying?
Maura: No. I don’t cry at school. I only cry if I have a friend over and something mean gets said and (I) feel bad.
Me: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Maura: A teacher or a news reporter.
Me: What grade?
Maura: 3rd grade. Not too old that they are sassy but not too young that they are crazy
Me: What advice would you give a kindergartener?
Maura: Don’t goof off. Because you can get into trouble
Me: What advice would you tell another kid younger?
Maura: Be yourself and always be yourself. Some people were nice in kindergarten but they saw other kids being sassy and the joined in. Just be yourself.
(“The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.” Joseph Campbell)
Me: Thank you.
Maura: You’re welcome
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