Potty Words: No Place at my Dinner Table…Kinda (W03.24.10)
What is the fascination with preschoolers and potty words and why do they most frequently appear at the dinner table? Why are potty words so funny? And more importantly why do I, a mother in my forties, still chortle? Is it because children know they are not supposed to say those words and like to check their boundaries of the punishment world, or is it because truly all bodily functions are just plain funny? I’m beginning to believe it’s the latter…
One would assume this common bond between young comediennes is only understood by humans. But I have seen monkeys and various other animals at zoos across the country do things with bodily fluids and SHRIEK for applause.
Everyone Poops, a picture book by Taro Gomi (Kane/Miller Books, 1993), is such a hit with adults and children alike that a friend of mine gives this book to every baby that is born. Not GoodNight Moon, or Pat the Bunny, or that dreadfully popular creepy book about the boy who climbs on his mother’s lap and then as an adult, the roles are reversed, and the invalid mother is curled up on her son (Eww), but my smart and funny friend gives the “book of poo” and always inscribes the funniest and sweetest comments in the cover for the children to cherish over the years.
My children are doomed to find potty words funny, because my husband and I have not mastered the 1950’s TV traditional stern Mom and Dad face when reprimanding them for saying “poop” or “toot.” We try to hide our smirks and then come up with a reason why it is not appropriate to say those words in public. “Make sure not to say that at school or church or in front of your grandparents…(no use making them laugh too!)”
So after numerous attempts to curb this behavior, involving time-outs, threatening no dessert (good idea if you want your kid to develop an eating disorder), and other choices I conveniently can’t remember for this posting, we decided to rename the “naughty” words.
Now the child can use his or her pre-curse words in code that no one can understand. Everyone else just thinks they are cute and quirky.
Here is our list: (feel free to create your own!)
Poop = Roses
Pee or Peeps = eyeball
Toot= Pineapple
Butt= Mighty, mighty bottom
So far our children haven’t gotten in trouble with our clergy or teachers, and we still have to occasionally remind them that the real potty words are unacceptable, but I think it is working pretty well!
Just last month when my youngest had an “accident” in the car, Munchkin#1 said, “Mom, (Munchkin#2) smells like roses!” We had to pull over the van to locate diaper wipes to fix up her mighty, mighty bottom!
©2010, Hatton. All rights reserved.
Tags: dinner time, Everyone Poops book, poop, potty words
Posted in Parenting Tips, preschoolers | Comments Off
