Eating Peanuts with Owen

Last night I sat outside with my five year old son and a bag of peanuts. He asked if he could have some. I told him sure. He took a peanut and said, "How do I get it." At first I did not know what he meant. Shelling a peanut is so automatic to me I did not realize it could be a learned activity. I showed him how to squeeze a peanut by holding the peanut with the seam on the side and squeezing. This did not work for five year old fingers. So Owen picked out peanuts that were already partially cracked. WHo would have guessed so much conversation could be generated. "Wow- this one is fat.... Oh, it's a skinny one... Did you see that one shoot out?.... I do not like the skin by itself.... Cool this one has two..." Soon there were no more single peanut or open peanuts left. We had to find an alternative opening strategy. I showed him how to put a peanut on the table and pound with a fist. This is the perfect five year old technique!