Have you ever noticed that when you speak before you think it doesn't always work out the way you would have planned? I recently tried to keep my father out of hot water with my mother and found myself neck deep instead.

I was at my parents' house to pick up my two year old after work and was on hand to witness my father's most successful day of fishing all season. Through the door he glided with his cooler full of eight fish. After showing off his bounty to my daughter he took the time to look at my mother's face. Without a word she opened the freezer door to display row upon row of fish. It took about three seconds to sum up what was going to happen next.

"Gee, Dad we don't have much time to go fishing anymore. Do you think we could take those fish home for dinner?"

Quicker than you could say "whirling disease" I was loaded into my car with my fish and my daughter. I didn't really think much about what I had just gotten myself into. It didn't hit me until I told my daughter we had to clean the fish and she came upstairs with the shampoo bottle. Uh oh.

I am the type of parent who probably over-analyzes everything. I don't remember anybody explaining life and death to me as a child. I grew up in a non-hunting family so perhaps nobody had to until I was older. It is important to me that my child understands why we hunt, but I also want her to feel caring, respect and compassion for all creatures. How would I explain the difference between pet and dinner? Knowing something and explaining why something is the way it is are two very different things!

With a quick prayer that I was doing the right thing, I pulled a chair up to the sink and let my daughter watch me clean those fish. I explained how Grandpa had caught them for us to eat. I told her that it did not hurt them because what had made them alive was not there anymore. She was curious about some of the different body parts and wanted to touch the fish. I was proud that she did not poke or prod the bodies. Thinking of our patient border collie, I tried to make the distinction between our pets and the animals that we eat. Perhaps I explained more to her than she could comprehend at such a young age. I can only hope that I started a good foundation on which to build as the years go by.

We ate those fish for dinner without any questions from my daughter. Several weeks went by and I must admit I was proud of the way I had handled the whole thing. Then I came out of the kitchen one evening to find her staring into our fish tank. With a happy smile on her face she asked, "Clean fish?" Uh oh!