DEAR ABBY: The letters you have printed recently about cute comments made by children reminded me of something that happened with my son a while back. My child was a preemie who later developed a condition similar to a hernia. It's common in premature babies.
When he was 3 years old, I took him to a pediatric surgeon to have the condition corrected. (This is when the problem began to manifest itself.) My son was given the typical examination by the doctor for a hernia. At 3, my son stood on the examination table, and, as the doctor examined his testicles, he shouted, "I'm going to tell an adult!"
The doctor looked at me as if I should do something. I told my son, "It's OK, Mommy's here, and this is a doctor examining you, but in any other circumstances, you do exactly what you just did!" The doctor didn't say a word, and I gave myself a silent, "Yes! He understands!"
Kids need to know. -- KAREN IN TAMPA, FLA.
DEAR KAREN: I agree. And bravo to you for making sure your son understood that important lesson early.