To be fair, she was plucked out of a Japanese nursery school and a home where she had happily lived with parents and sister, Japanese auntie, and grandparents and almost immediately started an English Reception class, all less than a year ago and the family is now living temporarily with Harry and me. So there's no doubt that she is a very adaptable little girl and she is doing well at school and learning our culture very quickly.
However there is some mix up going on in her head and before she went on holiday she was looking long and hard at me when she eventually said, "You are not part of my family."
ME. "Yes I am. I'm your Grandma."
A. "No you are not Japanese."
ME. "I'm part of your English family."
A . "You don't speak Japanese so you can't be family."
ME. "You have a Japanese family like Mummy & an English family like Daddy."
A. "No, Daddy speaks Japanese!"
ME. "He is English but he speaks Japanese."
A. (Getting very annoyed) "He is Japanese, he is, he is!"
ME. "He is my son."
A. "No, no he is MY son!"
A little talk ensued about relationships. The difference between sons & daddies. I went on to explain that Auntie Debbie was my daughter, Daddy's sister. Rick and Dean were cousins. Thought I had better not mention the obvious racial differences as she had not even noticed them!
Amber replied, "They are family but you are not. Nor Grandad! You are very mean to talk like that!" she said, stamping her foot and flouncing off!
I gave up, feeling a little confused myself, but one thing I know is that she has a stubborn streak in her, just like I have!
