F is for Freedom #AtoZChallenge

Posted April 7, 2021 in A-Z Challenge / 9 Comments

Life, the Universe, and Everything According to My Five-Year-Old

This month I’m taking part in the Blogging from A-Z Challenge and will be posting every day except Sundays. My readers voted for the theme “Life, the Universe, and Everything According to My Five-Year-Old”. During bedtime discussions and colouring sessions, my daughter will finally be providing the answers to the philosophical problems and unsolved mysteries that have puzzled humanity’s greatest thinkers for centuries.

Should we be free to do whatever we like?

Another tricky topic for Leona today. She doesn’t yet understand concepts like fate and free will but she does understand rules, so I decided to ask her about those.

Me: Do you think we are all free to make our own choices, or does something else control our lives?

L: We make our own choices.

Me: Why?

L: I don’t know.

Me: Should everybody be free to make whatever choices they like?

L: Um. No. We need rules.

Me: Why?

L: To tell us what to do!

Me: And why do we need to be told what to do?

L: Because some people are naughty!

Me: What about free speech? Do you think we should be able to say whatever we like, even if it hurts people’s feelings?

L: No.

Me: Why not?

L: Because it’s rude!

Me: What do you think would happen if we were all completely free to do whatever we liked? Would it be good?

L: It’s like Candyland. You could eat more and more and more candies. Like M&Ms. But if you played with a knife then that would be bad because you might just chop your finger off and you’d say, “Hey, Mummy, I only have nine fingers now!”

child's drawing of a girl in candyland surrounded by colourful M&Ms and candy canes
“Candyland” by Leona, aged 5.
over to you

Do you think we all have complete free will or does fate play a part? Are rules a necessary part of society? Let me know in the comments!

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9 responses to “F is for Freedom #AtoZChallenge

  1. Red

    I love it! Yes, it’s just like Candyland, but don’t play with a knife. Perfect. I’m going back to read more.
    Visiting from A to Z. My challenge is flash fiction based on readers’ prompts. I hope you’ll visit with a good idea for me!
    Doesn’t Speak Klingon

  2. Sounds like playing games in my house! Someone is going to get hurt. Nothing gets your heart going like when your 6 yo yells, “No, don’t stab me with the scissors.” And the 2 yo giggles.

  3. Got to be honest, I think she pretty much hit the nail on the head there. While she may be unable to articulate it properly, she’d forming some pretty sensible views.

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