Potty Talk

Yesterday my 4-year-old daughter, Maura, tried to convince me that potty talk is funny. She spent a good 10 minutes bestowing the many virtues of potty talk - how it sounds funny, how the topic itself is hilarious, etc. Her father would be so proud. After hearing her arguments, Judge mommy ruled that while Maura may find potty talk to be funny, it is an inappropriate topic to discuss in public. Court adjourned.

Fast forward to this morning. What a horrible morning. My son, Gage, was in a foul mood and decided I was a great target for his hostility. He didn't wish to cooperate with me on anything - from finishing his homework, to getting dressed and brushing his teeth. We ultimately had it out to the point that many parents reach. The point when you have an out-of-body experience, look down on the situation and realize that you have officially lost your shit. At that point, I immediately stopped and simply walked away quietly.

So you are probably wondering what this has to do with Potty Talk. Well, as we are driving to school (yes, he missed the bus because of the heated battle) I calmly said to Gage, "Buddy, we need to figure out a better way to handle your homework, and the way we communicate. This just isn't working. What do you think?" He replied, "I agree, Mom. I have an idea on how to make it better." Okay...progress. He went on to describe how we could make things better.

I gingerly continued, "I don't want to yell. I don't want to fight. It makes me feel like poop. It make you feel like poop. Who wants to feel like poop?" As this was a rhetorical question, I certainly did not expect the following. 2-year-old Lyla joyfully exclaims, "I do!!" Well, Gage and I had a good laugh - a much needed comic relief.

Moments pass until I hear Maura say in a knowing voice, "See, Mom? I told you potty talk is funny." Always has to have the last word.