diff --git a/demo/pop/elements/element.lua b/demo/pop/elements/element.lua
index 9f409ee..d94dae6 100644
--- a/demo/pop/elements/element.lua
+++ b/demo/pop/elements/element.lua
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ do
       graphics.print("e", self.x, self.y)
       return self
     end,
+    addChild = function(self, child)
+      self.child[#self.child + 1] = child
+      child.parent = self
+      return self
+    end,
     move = function(self, x, y)
       if x then
         self.x = self.x + x
diff --git a/demo/pop/init.lua b/demo/pop/init.lua
index a86e93b..5275323 100644
--- a/demo/pop/init.lua
+++ b/demo/pop/init.lua
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@ pop.create = function(element, parent, ...)
   if parent == nil then
     parent = pop.screen
   end
+  if parent then
+    print(parent.__class, parent.__class.__name, parent.__class.__base, parent.__class.__parent)
+  end
   element = pop.elements[element](parent, ...)
   if parent then
     insert(parent.child, element)
diff --git a/lib/pop/elements/element.lua b/lib/pop/elements/element.lua
index 9f409ee..d94dae6 100644
--- a/lib/pop/elements/element.lua
+++ b/lib/pop/elements/element.lua
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ do
       graphics.print("e", self.x, self.y)
       return self
     end,
+    addChild = function(self, child)
+      self.child[#self.child + 1] = child
+      child.parent = self
+      return self
+    end,
     move = function(self, x, y)
       if x then
         self.x = self.x + x
diff --git a/lib/pop/init.lua b/lib/pop/init.lua
index a86e93b..5275323 100644
--- a/lib/pop/init.lua
+++ b/lib/pop/init.lua
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@ pop.create = function(element, parent, ...)
   if parent == nil then
     parent = pop.screen
   end
+  if parent then
+    print(parent.__class, parent.__class.__name, parent.__class.__base, parent.__class.__parent)
+  end
   element = pop.elements[element](parent, ...)
   if parent then
     insert(parent.child, element)
diff --git a/src/pop/init.moon b/src/pop/init.moon
index 477faf4..aae4c28 100644
--- a/src/pop/init.moon
+++ b/src/pop/init.moon
@@ -51,10 +51,30 @@ pop.load = ->
     pop.screen = pop.create("element", false)\setSize(graphics.getWidth!, graphics.getHeight!)
     print "created \"pop.screen\""
 
+instanceOfElement = (object) ->
+    if object.__class
+        class = object.__class
+
+        if class.__name == "element"
+            return true
+
+        while class.__parent
+            class = class.__parent
+            if class.__name == "element"
+                return true
+
+    return false
+
 -- creates an element with specified parent (parent can be false)
 pop.create = (element, parent=pop.screen, ...) ->
-    -- 1: if parent is object, use it, 2: if parent is false, use it (use false), 3: if parent is nil, use pop.screen as parent
-    element = pop.elements[element](parent, ...)
+    --if parent
+    --    print parent.__class, parent.__class.__name, parent.__class.__base, parent.__class.__parent
+    --element = pop.elements[element](parent, ...)
+
+    if instanceOfElement parent
+        element = pop.elements[element](parent, ...)
+    else
+        element = pop.elements[element](pop.screen, parent, ...)
 
     if parent
         insert parent.child, element