I can recall, not too long ago, a time when each and every word out of my daughter’s mouth was met with huge celebration. When she started talking it was such an amazing thing to watch. In the beginning we weren’t too concerned with what she was saying only so much that she was just speaking. Not too long after that she was starting to repeat words. We had to be really careful about what we would say around her or what would be on TV.

Our daughter, O, will be 4 years old in just under two weeks. She’s got a great vocabulary and I know we’ve done a great job ensuring she’s not exposed to words we’d likely use around other adults. However, she’s now in Pre-School and of course have no control over what other children are going to say. Recently she’s been picking up some words and one in particular.

About a week ago, O came home and completely out of nowhere says, “Daddy, we don’t say stupid.”. I was shocked at first as I’d never heard her use that word. Apparently, one of the other girls she plays with picked it up. So I replied, “That’s right honey, no one is stupid and we don’t use that word.”. That was the last I heard of it until the next day.

The conversation went like this:

O: “Daddy, we don’t say Stupid.”
Me: “That’s right honey, we don’t say that word.”
O: “Stupid is a bad word.”
Me: “That’s right honey and we don’t say it, good job!”
O: “Right, we don’t say Stupid.”
Me: “Right…”

This exact same conversation has occurred every day this week. I’m beginning to notice a pattern and am quickly catching on to this little genius 3 year old. She’s found a way to say Stupid all the while confirming that she shouldn’t say it!

Darn her!!!! LOL This is her at 3?? I am in so much trouble!