Sunday, November 13, 2011

My Head Exploded, And I'm Now Headless.

Preschooler has a little sore on her upper lip.  “Honey, what happened to your lip?” I asked.  Her prompt reply? “I got it from kissing boys.”

***HEAD EXPLODES***

Thank you, Husband, for putting that little bug in her ear.

But it brings up a good point.  We really have to be careful what we say in front of her.  She’s old enough to pick up on phrases, including swearing.  She has already said “damn it” in an appropriate context. 

And I think last week I made a big mistake.

At Preschooler’s first parent-teacher conference, ever, it came out that she sometimes says “I don’t know” when asked something simple that you know she knows.  After the conference, I phoned Husband, my mother, and my sister, each time relaying this information and displaying my usual predisposition towards angst and over-analyzing, by wondering out loud why she did this, how to fix it, and OH MY GOD WHAT IF SHE HAS LOW SELF-ESTEEM AND IT’S ALL MY FAULT??!!

The whole time I did this, I never thought about the fact that Preschooler was within hearing distance of all these conversations. Who knows what she picked up from it, and how that will affect her own sense of self, especially towards school.

Oops.

At least now, I’m that much more aware of how I relate to her. 

Also, she’s not allowed to kiss boys until she is 30.

15 comments:

Lizbeth said...

Yeah, mine told someone I thought they were a moron. He got it right from a phone conversation I had with my sister. I totally faked it but now have almost all conversations in private...

Vapid Vixen said...

I really need to remember my nieces and nephews aren't in fact, blind, mute, and deaf.

Angela@BeggingTheAnswer said...

@Lizbeth - yeah, all phone conversations must now be private. Sigh.

@Vapid Vixen - So true. The problem is that when they're infants you take as given that they don't understand what you're saying. Then it takes you by surprise to find the months and years pass, and suddenly that's not the case.

Betty Fokker said...

My daughters are small, featherless parrots. It is coming back to bite me on the ass, hard. For example, when the six year old hollered at a car, "Use your turn signal, shit for brains!"

chemgirljaime said...

hahaha... that's adorable!

Angela@BeggingTheAnswer said...

@Betty Fokker - too funny!

@chemgirljamie - I know!

Vapid Vixen said...

P.S. I gave you the Liebster award. Pop over and grab it!

my honest answer said...

@betty OMG, that is so funny! And, yeah, kind of eye opening too...

TriGirl said...

Popping by from Vapid Vixen's site. Oh, those young, impressionable minds. Sounds like she's a quick study!

Anonymous said...

I got a phone call shortly after The Girl turned 3 and got an earful about her saying "God damn it" when she got frustrated.

Guilty.

Anonymous said...

Also, now my daughter's not allowed to kiss boys until she's 30 because of this story.

Angela@BeggingTheAnswer said...

@Vapid Vixen - thanks!!

@trigirl - thanks for stopping by!

@Joshua - it is so damn hard not to swear!

Ixy said...

That story about Betty's small featherless parrots is priceless! Sasha's 16 months old and because she doesn't talk yet (well, in words we can understand), I think I'm underestimating what she understands.

If she grabs her toy and brings it to me after I say "Bring the toy to mommy," she probably also understands "what the hell" when the computer is misbehaving...erk.

Angela@BeggingTheAnswer said...

@Ixy - my 2 year old totally understands more than what she can say. You're right, it is hard to remember that!!

Janie Jones said...

Well, unless you plan to raise your children in a vacuum (sound can't travel through a vacuum, I learned that in my Physics class last week) you will have to learn to be a little less harsh on your self.

I, on the other hand, am probably vying for worst mother ever as the spud has a very colorful vocabulary ripe with phrases and words heard from my own mouth. When she repeats such shocking things I just say that those words and phrases are for are at home and not at school and not with your friends. So far since she first starting going to school I've only had one complaint that the spud used inappropriate language. 1 report in 3 years doesn't seem too bad. But, as I say, I'm probably in the running for worst mother ever so you may want to take what I say with a grain or 10,000 of salt.