You never know how he might have interpreted it. The other one that springs to mind is "Your turn to rock the baby to sleep." "Ok, i'll get the rock."
Zigs has cracked it , a random off the cuff remark, linked to his fire education, and the poor little soul has visions of some person going up in flames....now you can work on the reassurance.
He's a pretty smart cookie is your James Clue. He has a fair amount of your character in him I think and a very imaginative mind.. How are the fish BTW? Jenny
UPDATE: Its all come out in the wash today. It also explains why he's been waking up in the middle of the night screaming for 'daddy' rather than 'mammy'. The poor lad. He asked me if he could take the 'sun' that we're building to school in September to show everyone. I told him no because its too big. He was disappointed so I said we could take a photo and he could take that in. He got upset and said "but daddy, you wont be there then". Shocked, I asked why he thinks that. "You are going away" he said, getting upset. The penny dropped. He knows I'll soon be starting a new job, in a different town. I asked him if he means for work, "yes" he answered. So I asked him outright, "do you think I'm going away and wont be there any more?", "yes" he replied. So I told him of course I'll still be here. I said nothing will really change. I'll go to work in the morning just like I always do, and come home at tea time, just like I always do. "What time?" he asked, a further indication that he'd got it into his head that I'm going away. I thought about it, and the day I quit my job, I told him. I remember part of the conversion that day. "But daddy, you'll get no money" he said that day. "Well I'll just have to go and work somewhere else then wont I", I'd replied. Now I just have to work on convincing him that my change of job wont really change anything for him, and that I'll still be around as much as before.
Wow, he's quite a pensive little boy Clue. He's had that all on his mind, bottling it up and feeling afraid. And the new baby will mean he's gonna have to share his sole affections with the newborn. He seems closer to you ATM so that's a plus as Mum will have her hands full in the near future. Does he go to playschool now and does he have mates to share his thoughts with? Any room in the household for a pet - a kitten or a dog ? More work but great company for wee James, Jenny
Awwww, poor we fella. Just a suggestion - would it be worth taking him in the car to show him where daddy will be working? Maybe if he sees it with you, and sees that you can get there and back in a reasonable amount of time (have breakfast, lets go see daddies new work, and we will be home so quick it will be before lunch)?
I'm more fun than his mam Its not really playschool any more, but yes, until today he was doing half days at school. When he's with his mates, they just play whatever games are foremost in their minds at the time. It was sports day the other day, so the Game of the Moment is various types of races. We've been planning to get some chickens for ages. Finally nearly got the bottom end of the garden ready.
That's a good idea, I might do that on Monday. Best not do it over the weekend if its sunny, because the new job is in Whitby, and if you try to get into Whitby on a sunny weekend day, you can expect to just not really move, so it would just make him think it was hours away.
Firstly, I agree that Whitby on a sunny weekend would be a bad idea - hopefully it will be quieter on Monday and you will get time to show wee James where you are going to be working, and maybe sneak a boys ice cream cone (just for you and him, no mummies allowed) before heading back home. Secondly - working in Whitby, suffice to say if jealousy wasn't such an ungentlemanly emotion, I would be jealous . Beautiful part of the country. Lastly - best of luck with the new job.