Wearing the Mask

Brian B tackles one of the great mysteries of parenthood:

How do you deal with a situation where your child has done/is doing something you know they shouldn't, and must be corrected, but they're being so damned cute and funny while doing it that you can't look at them with a straight face, let alone a stern one?

The World wonders.

This reminds me of an episode that happened a couple years back. The eldest Llama-ette, who was four or five at the time, had recently picked up the word "sh*t" somewhere. Of course, the first time we heard it, we talked to her very seriously about what a naughty word it was and how she musn't ever say it again.

Anyhoo, not long after, the gel was standing at the bathroom sink getting ready for bed. I was there, too, putting toothpaste on the brush and that sort of thing. As was her wont at that time, she was babbling to herself, singing a nonsense song that she made up as she went along. Without (I'm sure) even realizing it, she started to sing, "shi--" but realized at the last second what she was about and quickly changed it to something like, "shi-illabaloo".

A few seconds later, she looked up at me with big, blue eyes and a smile and said, "See, Daddy? I didn't say 'sh*t'!"

Exit Daddy stage left for a smothered guffaw.