Notions of reality

Looked after the Bratii on Sunday. Herein follows a rough transcript of a conversation with Minor:

Minor: "I'm tired because I had to stay up and fix my Lego model car"
Me: "No you didn't have to stay up you wanted to stay up"
Minor: "Muh I got it working you press the button and the lights go on"
Me: "Oh it comes with a power source then?"
Minor: "No it comes with batteries!"
Me: "Which are the power source - the source of the power"
Minor: "No they're batteries - god!"


Later he's fiddling with the fridge magnets - one is a sand-filled transparent plastic container shaped like the Isle of Wight

Me: "So what's that then?"
Minor looks at it: "The Isle of Wight"
Me: "It's a bit small isn't it? How does everyone live on it"
Minor gives me a narrowed look
Me: "So what's that one then?"
Minor: "It's a lighthouse"
Me: "How can you tell?"
Minor: "Because it has red and white stripes"
Me: "So does a barber's pole"
Minor: "No they don't... oh yes they do but those move lighthouses' don't"
Me: "How do you know?"
Minor: "I've never seen them move"
Me: "Maybe they only move when you're not looking"
Minor: "No they don't!"
Me: How would you know?"
Minor: "...It's got a light on top"
Me: "It's not very bright, are you sure it's a light?"

He then changes the subject and asks what the kettle is
Me: "What does it look like?"
Minor "A water jug?"
Me: "Close. What's that on the side?"
Minor: "A switch"
Me: "And on the other side?"
Minor: "A cord"
Me: "Which is plugged into a power source"
Minor: "Oh god - they're batteries"
Me: "So where does the electricity come from?"
Minor: "Magic"
Me: "Oh yeah the Leprechauns make it"
Minor: "No the Elves do"
Me: "What's the difference?"
Minor: "Elves are smaller. Besides Leprechauns only do rainbows"
Me: "That's a bit specist isn't it? What if Leprechauns what to make electricity? Why shouldn't they?"
Minor: "I asked them and they didn't want to"

This continues and he determines that things do the things they do because he's seen them do it on TV.

Me: "So TV only shows real things?"
Minor: "No this was a documentary"
Me: "How do you tell the difference?"
Minor: "If it's on the children's channel it's not real"
Me: "Doesn't BBC2 show some sort of wildlife show?"
Minor: "...If it's animated it's not real"

I just find it fascinating to push him in this way and see how he responds. It's a forlorn hope, but I do hope some of this sinks in before he gains unfettered access to the internet and the vast swathes of misinformation that's out there.