Did you ever watch Charlie Brown as a kid? I never really liked it when Charlie Brown and his friends were at school. When ever the teacher would speak, she would only say,
"Wha, wha, whaaaaa, wha, wha, whaaaaa, wha, wha, wha."
And the most shocking part? Charlie Brown or Lucy or whomever would converse with her! As if they understood what she was saying! What-EVER. The obsessive compulsive in me always disliked this part of the cartoon. Why didn't the teacher just speak actual words?
But then I realized that Charles Schultz based the cartoon around actual people he knew in Minnesota. Maybe the teacher was supposed to represent how kids really hear adults. After all, adults talk a lot from a kid's perspective. So much so, in fact, that often times their words must end up sounding something like this to kids:
"Wha, wha, whaaaaa, wha, wha, whaaaaa, wha, wha, wha."
This theory has been further proven to me over the course of my time as a mother. I have noticed that I say the same things to my children all the time. Well, the reason why I am saying the same things with the same results is because my children hear things with children's ears. After some careful observation of their behaviors, I have concluded that this is what they hear when I say the following phrases:
What I say: You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit
What they hear: Wha wha whaaaa... throw a fit.
What I say: No fighting
What they hear: Wha, wha.
What I say: No yelling in the house
What they hear: Wha, wha, whaaa. (so, they only scream when inside and the baby is asleep)
What I say: Go have a time out
What they hear: Huh? Did mom say something? Just sounded like wha wha wha to me.
What I say: Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.
What they hear: wha wha wha wha... Achooo! Where's my shirt, I need to wipe my nose.
What I say: Put your toys away.
What they hear: Wha, wha ... toys away. Isn't that what mom's are for?
"Wha, wha, whaaaaa, wha, wha, whaaaaa, wha, wha, wha."
And the most shocking part? Charlie Brown or Lucy or whomever would converse with her! As if they understood what she was saying! What-EVER. The obsessive compulsive in me always disliked this part of the cartoon. Why didn't the teacher just speak actual words?
But then I realized that Charles Schultz based the cartoon around actual people he knew in Minnesota. Maybe the teacher was supposed to represent how kids really hear adults. After all, adults talk a lot from a kid's perspective. So much so, in fact, that often times their words must end up sounding something like this to kids:
"Wha, wha, whaaaaa, wha, wha, whaaaaa, wha, wha, wha."
This theory has been further proven to me over the course of my time as a mother. I have noticed that I say the same things to my children all the time. Well, the reason why I am saying the same things with the same results is because my children hear things with children's ears. After some careful observation of their behaviors, I have concluded that this is what they hear when I say the following phrases:
What I say: You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit
What they hear: Wha wha whaaaa... throw a fit.
What I say: No fighting
What they hear: Wha, wha.
What I say: No yelling in the house
What they hear: Wha, wha, whaaa. (so, they only scream when inside and the baby is asleep)
What I say: Go have a time out
What they hear: Huh? Did mom say something? Just sounded like wha wha wha to me.
What I say: Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.
What they hear: wha wha wha wha... Achooo! Where's my shirt, I need to wipe my nose.
What I say: Put your toys away.
What they hear: Wha, wha ... toys away. Isn't that what mom's are for?
6 comments:
Classic Natalie! My kids responses make so much more sense now.
Natalie you crack me up. You should right a column in the newspaper titled: Sassy Mommy.
I totally agree! Sometimes after saying something to them I look at them and say, "did you hear me?" "tell me what I just said." And they can't. More proof that your theory is correct.
Oh that is so good! This weekend we had a friend stay with us and this is what he said to me.. "Heather you know how all kids have little quirks? Well, your kids quirk is that whatever you tell them to do, they do the exact opposite. So you just need to tell them the opposite of what you want!"
Thanks a lot! okay so he is right.
It's nice knowing that everybody's kids are the same. I like the idea of asking them, "What did I just say?" I'll have to use that!
I'm pretty sure you've tapped into THE big conspiracy, Natalie, of kids v. parents. They know that you can only say something so many times. Like Whitney, today, knew I would say yes the fifth time she asked for cookie. It's the same thing w/ ignoring. I usually max out and stop asking her to practice the piano after 4 requests. The gamble they take is that every once in a while, after asking for something so many times, I don't let it go, I get mad. And then they're in trouble! But, somehow, they're willing to take that risk all the same.
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