The F Word

There comes a point in your parenting journey where you realize your kid actually listens to and absorbs everything you say.  I’d say this started with Charlotte around 3 and a half, where things I told her would pop up in conversation months later.  Now, she remembers everything and will bring up stuff I said and use it against me.  This is a blessing and a curse.  For example, she remembers our security code.  This is a blessing because she was able to tell the babysitter the code when the alarm went off a few weeks ago and shut it off before the cops came (the cops still came), but it is a curse because she thinks she should be telling everyone this code.  Ah, kids.

Anyway, the point I want to get to today is something that happened last night.  I was putting my pajamas on when Charlotte looked up at me and said, “mom, do you think your stomach is fat?”  And this is when I realized she is really listening to every word I say, because lately I have been constantly saying my stomach is fat.  And now I need to STOP IT.  I’ve talked about it before, how I want to watch my words about appearance around Charlotte, to frame things in a way where I’m not putting myself down.  I clearly haven’t done any of that.  It’s ridiculous and I’m ashamed of myself.  I looked down at her and told her it’s not nice to say the word fat and mommy should probably be exercising a little more so she gets stronger.  I told her we don’t call other people fat and that we shouldn’t call ourselves fat because everyone is beautiful, yada yada yada.  And then when I thought she really got it, she looked up at me and said… “well when is the baby in there going to start kicking?”  There is no baby.  There is no kicking.  The only kicking I wanted to do was to kick her little behind for constantly equating the extra pounds in my midsection to being pregnant.  The last thing I need is for her to start telling people there’s a baby in mommy’s belly- WHICH THERE ISN’T.  But I will stop saying I’m fat, that’s for sure.

Ah, kids.