Watch What I Say

I have a co-worker with a 21⁄2-year-old who's been taught to respond to the question "Who's your daddy?" with "Milkman!"

Celeste isn't picking up things like that yet, but Evelin is reminding me I have to be careful with what I'm saying. Not that I'm spouting off like an aggrieved sailor, just I sometimes say things that strike me as quite funny but that might not really be things we'd want her picking up.

For example, this evening — I'm on the kitchen floor; Evelin and Celeste are in the diningroom. The safety gate that closes off the kitchen is in place. Evelin was encouraging Celeste to walk over to me, and she eventually did. I'm sticking my hands though the bars, which made Celeste laugh. I say: "Do you like visiting daddy in jail?"

I thought it was pretty funny; Evelin could imagine Celeste telling someone how much fun it is to visit daddy in jail. Which in and of itself is funny, too, but I could see how it might raise questions.

Only moderately connected are these two photos: Evelin didn't think it was so funny to show Celeste how to bang on the bars with a tin cup. I was just disappointed I couldn't get her to say "Attica! Attica!"