Budding scientists often discover their love of learning as children, by conducting simple experiments around the home. And parents are usually happy to encourage such behaviour, provided the child is being safe. As such, one mum was left wondering if she needed to intervene with her son's creative experiment after she realised he was unknowingly "making moonshine".
While the four-year-old was enjoying his endeavour, the mum was left worried his experiment might prove too successful. And her response delighted parents, when she hilariously envisioned all of the possible outcomes, before taking action - ensuring none of the "terrible" options became a reality.
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Posting to Twitter as @clairedwillett, Claire Willett explained how her son's experiment came about.
She wrote: "My 4y/o slipped half a corn cob in a water bottle + called it 'corn water' + screwed it tight + checks it daily + guards it scrupulously + tonight he took a stealthy sip + announced 'it needs another day' + I just realized he’s making … moonshine?"
The doting mum then shared a photo of the water bottle stored on a window sill, which is of course the perfect setting for experiments, as any scientist will tell you.
In her caption, she quipped: "The corn water has migrated from the bookshelf to the window sill, tucked behind the curtain. 4y/o says move motivated by need to keep it safe. A likely story."
But it could not stay there forever. As the mum said: "We are fast approaching the inflection point of the corn water-moonshine metamorphosis."
She then envisaged a number of possible scenarios she might be confronted with that evening.
Claire wrote:
"1. 4 y/o tries the moonshine + finds it vile + world is deprived of future spirits visionary.
2. 4 y/o tries the moonshine + loves it. Obviously terrible option, at least in short term.
3. I replace moonshine w fresh water. Results in unrealistic alchemic expectations+ dampens legitimate + budding interest in fermentation.
4. I have honest heart to heart w/ 4 y/o about marvels and perils of fermentation + why he must allow me to dispose of the fruit of his labor.
5. 2 y/o drinks the moonshine + shares w/ baby sister."
And last but not least she imagined drinking the concoction herself.
"I drink the moonshine. Increases distrust in institutions + 'the system' but what will I care?" she wrote.
And the Twitter thread delighted people, racking up over 285,000 likes to date.
One fan dubbed it a "golden thread". Another joked: "Thank you for your tutorial for making moonshine. I'll be ordering corn from my grocery to be delivered Tuesday."
And several people urged the mum to drink the moonshine herself, arguing "this needs to be the option."
Well, commenters will likely be pleased to know the mum later shared her thoughts on the drink.
In a comment added the next day, Claire wrote: "In truth, the corn water, 4 days in, was mildly opalescent, cool + damp in the way ground water is cool, and thinly sweet (like maple water, if you've had that). Was this an ad for hydroflask all along?"
She also followed up the joke with a tip, writing: "Closing out this seasonal recipe with a corn OFF the cob tip: put a smaller, upturned bowl inside a larger bowl. Stand the cob upright on the platform you’ve created. Cut. The kernels will fall into the big bowl."
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