Tact – what’s that?

Not long after my son started school, we were walking home one afternoon with some friends. We were still at an early stage in our friendship – a bit beyond the superficial “how are you doing” at the school door but not quite at the “coffee (or wine) at yours?” stage.

We were just navigating the narrowest point of the school commute, which can feel a bit like pushing through the crowds in Oxford Circus, when my son stopped an older gentleman walking towards us and asked “are you a grandad?”

Even with the press of people at his back, the man very kindly paused and responded saying that no, he wasn’t.

At which point, my son observed “so you’re just an old man then.”

There is little I could do other than hope that a grimace and apologetic shrug is a universal sign for sorry, I can’t believe he just said that/kids!

We followed this event up with a discussion about tact – not a topic I expected to be covering with a five year old. What’s that? Basically it’s not saying what you’re thinking. Why? So that you don’t hurt someone’s feelings. Why? Because you have to think about how other people might feel about what you’re saying.

Pause (thank goodness, as I wipe the sweat from my brow following that volley), but mum, you told me I shouldn’t lie.

Have you had a ‘kids say the darndest thing’ moment?!