daddyville

Our daughter Shayla--4 years old as of a couple of weeks ago-- has recently taken to the interjection "Dammit". Thus begins now the un-conditioning of this attentive human sponge that is our daughter. As a parent, I sometimes wish that there was an 'off switch' somewhere on her back that we could flip at opportune times to put a halt to her natural counter surveillance practices. Well, we know that this is not anywhere in our near technological future, so I guess her mom and I are just going to have to tighten up our grammatical belts. ...So the learning continues...for the whole family.

I must say here that this has been a long time coming. Up to now, we have just lucked out in that she hasn't taken to the shadier side of our vernacular. Those days have now passed. A word, as well must be said to the fact that her mother and I do not have 'Sailor's mouths' when it comes to expressing ourselves. Yet, apparently our lips don't always have a 'G' rating. PG-13 will not do when your youngster is four. Point taken. I think we have a fair chance of success in our un-conditioning and going forward as our little one is a very intelligent little person.

All the same, it stung a little to explain to her that that was an 'adult' word and not to be uttered by a kid in a kids world: yet another example of a sense of hypocrisy from a child's point of view. Although it's right and true, I can see how, to them, it wouldn't make a lot of sense. I have a sense of sympathy for those feelings; I remember them.