Nature Enthusiast vs. Bug-Phobic Mom

Theo burst through the back door this afternoon with the enthusiasm of a paleontologist who just discovered a new species. “MOM! You have to see this!” he announced, holding up what can only be described as a beetle the size of a small aircraft.

Nature Enthusiast vs. Bug-Phobic Mom

Now, I love my son. I support his scientific curiosity. I want him to explore the natural world and develop a deep appreciation for all of God’s creatures. But why do God’s creatures have to be so… crunchy? And why do they have to have so many legs?

The specimen in question

The thing is, Theo gets so genuinely excited about these discoveries that I can’t bear to crush his enthusiasm with my completely rational fear of anything with more than four legs. So there I was, nodding and making interested “mm-hmm” sounds while internally calculating the fastest route to the other room.

Being brave for my boy

Marcus, meanwhile, was having the time of his life documenting my terror for posterity. Thanks, honey. Really helpful. But I powered through, asked all the right questions about where he found it and what kind it might be, and managed not to scream when it moved. That’s what we call a parenting win in this house. [IMAGE_4]