Watch what you say!

Before my son was born, I often wonder at the strange and funny words and phrases that would spew out of the mouths of my nieces and nephews and friends children. I wonder where and how they learned those phrases and sometimes it’s laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes I grin politely.

Just the other day, when I was driving with my son to Target and a car stopped suddenly in front of us for no apparent reason, I exclaimed, “What are you doing!” My son, without missing a beat, said smartly, “that guy pissing you off, mommy?” I paused for a moment and laughed softly without letting my son know that it was okay to say the word “pissed”. And then I thought to myself – where did he learn to say that? And then the realization pounced on me like a 300-pound tiger. I had said the same phrase not too long ago at some oblivious drivers on the road who seem to think they are the only people on the roads. I recall exclaiming it quite profoundly and my son, who is intelligent beyond his age, most likely stored that lovely exclamation into his memory bank.

I can’t help but chuckle a bit at how innocently my son had asked me that question. I know ofcourse, that he doesn’t really know that the word “pissed” shouldn’t be used in any context by a child, let alone in public by a responsible adult. But at his age, his brain is like a data sponge and he’ll soak up anything he hears and sees. Which is great to some extent, except to the parts where he learns certain words or phrases that he should not be learning.

But what’s even funnier to me is that I used to watch what I say in front other people’s kids and now, it’s almost too natural to say whatever is on my mind in front of my son. I should probably watch what I say when it comes to drivers “pissing me off” or anything too provocative because I never know when he’ll pop out that word in front of other people. Nevertheless, it’s just one of the marvels of being a mom and learning and growing along with my child.