Ken says

Isn't is amazing how clever kids are today? They readily adapt to the technology, they absorb most our conversations, albeit unknowingly on our part and they learn fast.

My nephew, Ken, just turned four but he knows better how to use the PC than my parents. He knows how to turn it on by himself, he knows how to open his favorite game, and he likes to look at his face using the web camera. He also knows how to send a text message and call somebody using a cellphone although he doesn't know how to read yet. Wow, isn't it amazing?

I think our Ken isn't alone. Most of kids his age today are equally wonderful.

Maybe it's because they don't have any prior orientation or any form of biases, or because they seem to be so eager to experience everything around them, or maybe because they're so receptive and open with new ideas.

Ken comes to my parents house twice a week and he never fails to make us laugh with his innocent humor.

Last Sunday, I cooked my own version of pancake and told him we're going to make some magic. Now, that made him interested so I showed him how to do it. I had him do the stirring and the mixing and he enjoyed it very much.

He couldn't wait to eat his slice but it has always been a family tradition that we pray before meals. Some people do it afterwards but we pray before partaking. He has quite observed this for a long time and we know he knows how to do it now. So, we asked him to say grace...

"Tita oi, dili man ko kabalo magpray... ako na lang piyong para sa imo" (Tita, I don't know how to pray, I will close my eyes for you)

I know it isn't that funny but the timing was so perfect and he sounded so innocent, we all bursted out laughing.

Later that day, I found him sipping a glass of soft drink insatiably. He has been consuming much junk food. He likes chippy and all these products in the market with no nutritional value at all. It would have been better if he's eating well during his meals but no. He's picky and has appetite for the wrong kinds of food.

Rather concerned, I casually told him.

Me: "you know Ken, you shouldn't drink much soft drink."
Ken: Why?
Me: "one day, it will hurt you a lot when you pee. Soft drink will cause you to pee painfully. Do you want that to happen to you?"
Ken: No, but papa drinks too. Papa didn't get sick.
Me: Well, papa is a big man. Papa has a bigger immune system. Since Ken is not big yet, Ken's immune system is also not as big. Papa eats vegetables and drinks milk but Ken doesn't. Vegetables and milk make your body stronger to fight sickness. So Ken will get sick faster than papa.
Ken: OK... (hands his glass of soft drink to his father)

Here is Ken's picture... and with me