TIFU by learning that my toddler made up their own way of swearing at me and has been telling me to f off for a while.
So the build up to this **** up...
I work out at home and have done since my child was born. I like to work out to music and there is one particular song that for some reason really helps me get in the mood to squat. It's a song that I'd played for some time without question until 4 months ago because it has a few swear words in it.
My child had been listening to the song a lot more because they recently got into dancing to my music, I realised this when they repeated some of the lyrics and I explained to them why sometimes there are words that we don't use and why ect.
My child is very emotionally in tune and can express themselves very well. So after this conversation they were very alert to any 'naughty' words, so if they hear anyone swear now they will tell them it's not okay.
Let's fast forward to a few weeks ago, my child is now having a lot of big feelings that are resulting in big tantrums. Tantrums where they start lifting their fingers up and crossing them over into the shape of an X, and then saying 'off mummy, off' while moving this little X made of fingers in my direction. That confused me for a bit I must admit.
Then came the realisation.
We were sat down eating dinner and I said the dreaded word that every toddler hates - 'no'. That one word started something that let me know how intelligent my toddler really is. My toddler lifted their fingers, crossed them over, stared at me and said 'x off mummy'. I sat there for a minute while it dawned on me.
I composed myself, and then I asked if 'X' meant something else? My toddler silently nodded while staring at me... I asked what it meant and I was met with 'I can't tell you, it's a naughty word mummy'. This was all the confirmation that I needed but I knew I still had to continue to address this issue.
I asked if 'X' was the same word from the song. My toddler broke out laughing, smiled at me and said 'yes mummy'. They had been telling me to **** off in their own very unique way during tantrums for a few weeks now, and I didn't have any idea until it dawned on me that X had another meaning.
TL;DR Toddler repeated a swear word, and got told not to use swear words. Toddler then created their own swear word in response and had been swearing at me for a few weeks
. Had she been a bit older my response would have been "ill get one but it means no more christmas and birthday presents"
.
