Things You Don't Want Your Child Shouting in Public

Moment 37 when you briefly suspect your almost-two-year-old may be possessed by the devil: You take her into a friendly neighbourhood restaurant that serves breakfast all day and she immediately starts spinning around, pointing wildly over the heads of the little old ladies frequenting the place, and shouting, "Cock! Cock! Cock!"

You are completely flummoxed, even shocked, and then you realize that the place is decorated in a rooster and hen motif and she is only trying to say, "Cluck cluck!" or perhaps "Cock-a-doodle-do!"

So right away you start explaining this to your husband in an overly loud and cheerful voice, "Oh how cute, she's trying to say 'cluck cluck'! Isn't she? You're trying to say 'cluck, cluck,' aren't you, Sylvie? Sylvie! You mean 'cluck cluck'!" And she nods, beaming, and continues to shout, "COCK! COCK! COCK!" all through breakfast.

Comments

[Steph Burgis]

My husband and I both laughed so much at this. ALL-TOO familiar! The stuff our two-year-old has said loudly in public...well. I totally recognized this!

[Tarrant]

We have a friend who collects decorative roosters--and calls them cocks. It is funny and stuck with us so the first time WE went to a cafe here that decorates with them--I had to inappropriately say look at all the cocks! Lee would love it here.

[Carolyn R]

Way, way, way back my father used to carry me in a backpack while he downhill skied at Sandia Peak Ski Run in Albuquerque, NM. The day I said, "Daddy, look at that fat lady!" in perfect toddler pitch was the day I learned to ski on my own.