A Conversation with Charlie (Age 6) About Television

HIM: Dad, I don't like a lot of the shows that Kate likes.
ME: Well, you're older and you're a boy and you just have different tastes.
HIM: I like grown-up shows. I like to watch them with Mom.
ME: Like Oprah?
HIM: Yeah, I like Oprah. And all the grown-up shows with people arguing. So I'm kind of a weird kid, huh?
ME: I don't think you're a weird kid.
HIM: I do.
ME: You have some weird tastes but that doesn't make you a weird kid.
HIM: Well, I think it does.

We agree to disagree on that one. But the occasion of his birthday today makes me reflect on various things written about him as I've slowly and methodically exploited his childhood.

REAL AND IMAGINED THINGS MY 3-MONTH-OLD SON CHARLIE HAS SAID (McSweeney's)

WHAT I FOUND IN MY TWO-YEAR-OLD SON'S PLAYROOM (McSweeney's)



Conversation At The Toy Store Between Myself And My Son Charlie (Almost Three)


A Conversation With Charlie (Age 3) In The Car Last Night (Joined Midway Through)

A Conversation With Charlie, Age 4

The Imminent Threat of Chickens

The Home Improvement Plan

A Brief Conversation with Charlie (Age 4) About Future Plans

A Conversation with Charlie (Age 5) and Kate (Age 3) About Responsibilities

Jokes Written by Charlie (Age 5) That Indicate Either a Lack of Understanding About What Jokes Are, or an Absolute Mastery of the Medium

You May Wish to Avoid Charlie (Age 5) on April 1st

Action Boys

Happy birthday Charlie.