Dinner Conversation

When you send your children to school, you think of all the fun, good times, and great lessons they will learn. You may or may not think about the other potentially undesirable stuff, for instance, the potty talk. For the kindergarten/preschool set, apparently it is just funny to refer to it, mention it, sign it, act it, or otherwise immerse yourself in anything related to potty activities and repeat it over and over and over again. Often at dinner I have to remind them it is not appropriate dinner conversation. If they can't control themselves and continue to potty talk, I send them to the bathroom (not together--separate bathrooms-- luckily we have more than one) and I tell them to stay in there and talk potty talk to themselves until they are done and then they may return to the table. So far, that works pretty well to stop it.

At bedtime, when I am putting Samantha to bed, I put the boys in their room and start a CD for a chapter book. We are currently listening to Little House on the Prairie, partly because we are moving to the prairie in June, but also because I grew up loving the Little House books and want them to love them, too. So far, they like the stories really well and we've listened to the book three times over.

While driving to school last week, Bubba asked what a papoose was. Knowing they had listened to the chapter about the Indians, I explained it was an Indian baby that was strapped in a baby carrier and worn on the Indian mommy's back while she did her work, but during the whole explanation, Bubba and Stump were giggling. Not being able to turn around while driving, I thought they were poking each other or something. At bedtime that night, Samantha fell promptly asleep, so I was able to join the boys for part of their story. It was the Indian chapter again. When Laura sees the papoose and wants to keep him, the boys start giggling again and whispering "papoose" to each other. I realize they are finding potty talk in the Little House books: paPOOse, paPOOse, paPOOOOOOse! So far, I am onto these sneaky guys...but for how long?

Posted by The Editor.