Earlier this evening, Scoonie and I were watching the fifth season of Quantum Leap (disc two) for our date night when we heard Jr's voice requesting my presence. Although it was date night and the kids were supposed to be sleeping, I got up to see what Jr wanted.
Upon arrival, I found that Jr had done something that annoyed Fred. In retaliation, Fred had blurted "I hate you!" to Jr.
In our household, the phrase "I hate you" is not tolerated and Fred knows that; normally, soap and a mouth washing follows closely after uttering those words, but today I looked up at Fred (as she was on the top bunk) and said, "You don't hate your sister, you may dislike some of the things she does, but you don't hate her."
"Yes I do, I hate her."
"You don't hate her, you just dislike some of the things she does." (I'm a firm believer that repetition is the Mother of all learning.)
"But Dad she..." Fred continued on with her story and then uttered a four letter "D" word I've never heard come from her sweet little mouth (which is probably why I don't remember what her complaints about Jr were.)
"What did you say?" I queried with my stern voice, "What DID you say? You are not allowed to say that! That is not a word you should be saying!"
Fred froze and stammered, "What did I say?"
I spelled the word out for her. Fred tried to ameliorate the situation by saying she had not said that; I assured her she had and reiterated that she should not use such words.
At this point, Fred pulled her silk sheet over her head, assumed the fetal position, sobbed and then blurted, "But Mommy says it all the time...I didn't know it was a bad word!"
This was news to me. Yes, Mommy had her male stripper friend call me at work once, but I've never thought of her as a person with a sailor's mouth.
"What?" Yes, I had a real hard time keeping a straight face.
"Mommy says it all the time." Fred reiterated, "You hate me." More sobs.
"I don't hate you. I'm correcting you because I love you; if I didn't love you, I'd let you do whatever you wanted."
I continued to calm Fred down, then gave both Fred and Jr their second set of good night kisses, checked on George to make sure she had her blankets on, and then reported back to Scoonie and asked, "Did you know that you're the bad language influence for our kid?"
We both had a good laugh; but Scoonie is going to make sure she sits down with Fred and see if she can't figure out why Fred thinks this in the morning.
*Scoonie* Now if she had said @-$-$ I'd have to own up to the mouth washing but I DON'T say the other - I SWEAR! Oh wait, that's what started this whole problem ...
Upon arrival, I found that Jr had done something that annoyed Fred. In retaliation, Fred had blurted "I hate you!" to Jr.
In our household, the phrase "I hate you" is not tolerated and Fred knows that; normally, soap and a mouth washing follows closely after uttering those words, but today I looked up at Fred (as she was on the top bunk) and said, "You don't hate your sister, you may dislike some of the things she does, but you don't hate her."
"Yes I do, I hate her."
"You don't hate her, you just dislike some of the things she does." (I'm a firm believer that repetition is the Mother of all learning.)
"But Dad she..." Fred continued on with her story and then uttered a four letter "D" word I've never heard come from her sweet little mouth (which is probably why I don't remember what her complaints about Jr were.)
"What did you say?" I queried with my stern voice, "What DID you say? You are not allowed to say that! That is not a word you should be saying!"
Fred froze and stammered, "What did I say?"
I spelled the word out for her. Fred tried to ameliorate the situation by saying she had not said that; I assured her she had and reiterated that she should not use such words.
At this point, Fred pulled her silk sheet over her head, assumed the fetal position, sobbed and then blurted, "But Mommy says it all the time...I didn't know it was a bad word!"
This was news to me. Yes, Mommy had her male stripper friend call me at work once, but I've never thought of her as a person with a sailor's mouth.
"What?" Yes, I had a real hard time keeping a straight face.
"Mommy says it all the time." Fred reiterated, "You hate me." More sobs.
"I don't hate you. I'm correcting you because I love you; if I didn't love you, I'd let you do whatever you wanted."
I continued to calm Fred down, then gave both Fred and Jr their second set of good night kisses, checked on George to make sure she had her blankets on, and then reported back to Scoonie and asked, "Did you know that you're the bad language influence for our kid?"
We both had a good laugh; but Scoonie is going to make sure she sits down with Fred and see if she can't figure out why Fred thinks this in the morning.
*Scoonie* Now if she had said @-$-$ I'd have to own up to the mouth washing but I DON'T say the other - I SWEAR! Oh wait, that's what started this whole problem ...
1 comment:
even when Scoonie is Driving I haven't heard the d word. I know people in other cars are informed on occasion that they are a dumb a word, but that is the worst I have heard... (and they are told in an unhappy voice how they Ought to be driving)
I dealt with my oldest repeating the f word when he was 3yrs 2mo old... his daddy had been building (remodeling)while he was nearby and the next morning my son came in with a hammer saying "I can't make this blank thing work!" He very sincerely had no clue so I stayed calm, until the source got home that night. Then I had the Source explain that wasn't a nice word.
If only children repeated all the good things they hear...
xoxoxox
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