
My kids are both serious carnivores. I can’t say that I blame, they come by it naturally. While I may serve dinners made of chickpeas and quinoa on a regular basis, I’m still at my happiest when scarfing down a Thickburger from Hardee’s (especially one that has been slathered in extra mayo).
Unlike me, however, my children aren’t squeamish about acknowledging that the foods they love to consume were once living, breathing animals.
Recently, when several of my daughter’s friends were discussing how cute and adorable baby pigs are, and how much they love them, my girl chimed in, “Yeah, I really like bacon.”
She’s not exactly the warm and fuzzy type, that one.
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
Given their meat-eating ways, it should come as no surprise that, when I took them both to see a live performance of The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs at COCA last weekend, neither child displayed much sympathy for the pigs.
They loved hearing Alexander T. Wolf (who was on trial for murder in a “Piggsylvania” courtroom) tell his side of the timeless tale, and it didn’t take much to convince them that the Big, Bad Wolf has been getting a bad rap.
I think it was his argument that you can’t leave a perfectly good ham dinner lying on the ground. That really got to them. They totally would have eaten the little piggies too.
The production, brought to COCA by Dallas Children’s Theatre and based on the best-selling book by the same name, is filled with catchy songs and upbeat dance numbers, and of course, lots and lots of pigs.
But by highlighting the wolf’s point of view, the play teaches young audience members that truth isn’t always what it seems — and that there are two sides to every story.
Although, while part of me applauds the lesson in critical thinking, another part of me wonders if that’s a door I’m really ready to open.
Think about it. If our kids figure out that the Big, Bad Wolf is in fact NOT the bad guy they’ve been led to believe him to be, how long is it before they start to question all the other sacred beliefs of childhood?
That’s a slippery slope, lined with parental tall tales and half-truths, and I don’t know about you, but I’m keenly aware of the fact that it’s almost Christmas. And I really don’t need a couple of kids on a sudden quest to uncover "The True Story of Santa Claus."
The COCA Family Theatre Series
The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs marked our family’s first visit to COCA to take advantage of their Family Theatre Series, and I have to say, if you’ve never taken your children to see a play, this is the perfect opportunity to introduce them to live theater.
(Just ignore my complaints about how they’re teaching my kids to, you know, think for themselves.)
All shows in the Family Theatre Series have a running time of one hour (perfect for families with little ones), and are located in COCA’s Founder’s Theatre (where every seat is close to the stage).
Each show runs for only one weekend, so you can no longer see The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, but the 2012-2013 season continues with kid-friendly shows like The Little Dancer Dec. 7-9, Guess How Much I Love You Feb. 1-3, and The Gruffalo Feb. 23-24. (The season's full schedule can be found at www.cocastl.org)
Even better, the program indicates that if you bring your ticket stub to Fitz’s after a COCA show, you’re entitled to a free float with the purchase of any meal. We considered taking advantage of the offer, but instead decided to head home and have breakfast for dinner.
For some reason, we were all in the mood for bacon.
By Alyssa Chirco, SmartMama blogger for SmartParenting
Photos courtesy of COCA
Alyssa Chirco is a freelance writer, mother and margarita lover, not necessarily in that order. In addition to writing for STL Parent, she is Contributing Editor at Parenting Squad, and covers parenting, health and lifestyle topics for publications across the country. She recently moved from the suburbs of St. Louis to a small town in rural Jefferson County, where she is learning to survive with no Target or Starbucks in sight. Follow her on Twitter @AlyssaChirco
Explore the Saint Louis Zoo in the evenings at the Chinese lantern festival Animals Aglow! Animals Aglow returns to illuminate the Saint Louis Zoo for the second year with dozens of new, towering lanterns and light displays.
Visit The Magic House for Toddler Time, a special early-morning program for toddlers. Children age 1-4 can take part in exhibits and exclusive interactive activities designed just for little ones. There are new themes every week!
Open Gym at Miss Kelly's Gym is an opportunity for any child to have supervised free play in the gym. They can work on existing skills, try something new, or simply play around. It is completely up to them! Open Gym is open to both members and non-members ages 12 and under.
The Gateway to Reading program is a parent-child workshop that focuses on strengthening reading skills while engaging in fun, literacy-based activities. Participants will receive a free toolkit of materials to help children in their reading journey.
See the Zoo's California sea lions perform acrobatic and athletic feats, including Olympic-style dives on a high-diving platform, flipper walks, frisbee tosses and plenty of surprises. While on stage with the sea lions, the Zoo's trainers explain sea lion behavior and positive-reinforcement training, in addition to the need for conserving the sea lion's ocean habitat.