I was surprised to hear my five year old talking about a recent trip to Florida to a complete stranger.

First she sighed aloud, hoping to engage this parent at the mom-and-tot open gym time between racing to the wall and back against a surprisingly willing hula hoop.

“Ahhh. It sure was nice to go to Florida where it’s always sunny and warm.”

Stranger: Oh, you went to Florida?

Ellie: Yes, we fly there because we have money to fly. Other people that don’t have money drive there.

So, this began a conversation over lunch hour I wish I had never started.

Me: Ellie, I wanted to talk to you about your conversation with that woman at the gym today about our trip.

Ellie: Okay.

Me: Flying to Florida is something we do because it’s a faster way to get there than driving. It has nothing to do with money. There are a lot of people who have much more money than we will ever have who choose to drive to Florida because they have time or because they prefer the comfort of their car over a plane.

Ellie: Yeah, and?

Me: Well, it’s just not nice to tell people that you have money to fly and others don’t.

Ellie: Why? I think she had enough money to fly.

Me: That’s irrelevant. I just want you to know it’s impolite to talk about money (let alone my discomfort with her just yapping about our flight plans with perfect strangers). It’s called ‘bragging.’

Ellie: Huh?

Me: Bragging is when you tell someone you have something that they might not to make yourself feel bigger or better than they are.

Ellie: I wasn’t bigger than she is Mom. I’m a kid, she’s an adult. Hello?

Me: I realize that. I just think you are old enough for me to have this conversation with you just as I did with Hanna if she told someone that she had a piece of cheese in her lunch and maybe they didn’t.

Ellie: Nobody on our plane had any cheese, I remember that. And I’m pretty sure the Mom at the gym today had that lacto thing from the commercials where she can’t eat dairy…..so…..

Me: I will have this conversation with Chloe when she’s old enough to understand too.

Ellie: Oh, so you’re old and smart and she’s too young to understand? Bragger.

I’m glad we had this little chat.