Round 2 of the Poop Stage

I’m sick and tired of this coronavirus thing; aren’t you? Right now, the only thing I like about it is that we get to spend more time together. My husband works part-time from home now and our oldest is doing home from school. It’s not always easy to coordinate meetings, classes via Zoom, work, school, and a toddler, but that toddler sure is keeping us on our toes and keeping us laughing!

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Me: What’s your name?

Toddler: Poop.

I knew it was going to happen. I knew I was going to go through the poop stage a second time. I did have a second child, after all. But it wasn’t something I thought about as actively as when my oldest went through it.

Back in mid-2018, my oldest was incredibly fond of mixing up poop and butt into unique phrases and words. He was 4 and insanely creative, and really, really liked attention. I managed to, more or less, end it about half a year after it started and he’s never really started back up again. He, at almost 6, has more sophisticated phrases he prefers, which also means Mom and Dad really have to watch what they say.

Now his little sister is 3, showing some signs of interest in potty training, and has discovered the word poop is funny.

Me: What do you want to be when you grow up?

Older child: A doctor so I can help people. (When asked again) A grandpa. (When asked a third time) I don’t know (while shaking his huge head of hair).

Toddler: Poop!

And…Round 2!

Honestly, I’m not even sure if I want to do what I did with my son to end this stage. It’s not because I’m lazy or way too busy now that my oldest is doing school from home. It’s more because she’s my baby, my last. I’ll never go through this again, so I’m just soaking her up. She’s so cute when she says poop and my husband and I just don’t have the heart to tell her to stop.

Actually, I think we encourage it.

And then her older brother starts saying it and laughing and we just laugh, too.

I was raised by a mom who was the youngest of 5 and a dad who was the second youngest of 6. I am well aware of how the youngest is usually spoiled, and know how to curtail it since my little sister never, ever got away with anything. My husband and I are both firstborns, but I’m a firstborn who knows how to handle the youngest in the family thanks to watching my mom.

This little girl doesn’t get away with anything unless I let her. Same goes for her brother.

Anyways, I’m not letting her, or them, get away with saying poop. I’m actually actively getting involved with it myself. Once upon a time, I thought the word disgusting and desperately wanted it’s usage to come to an end. Now I’m seeing how adorable it is and how much I don’t want it to end, because it means my baby is growing up and I’m not ready for that.

Toddler: (trying to sing Twinkle, Twinkle, but only knowing the words “twinkle” and “star”)

Me: (singing) Twinkle, twinkle little star…

Toddler: Poop!

It’s round 2 of the poop stage. I’m not ready for it to end. I don’t care if my daughter yells poop at everyone. I don’t care what people think of me as she walks around yelling poop. Actually, because of COVID-19, we’re not even stepping out of our home more than once a month, so it’s not even an issue. So, I guess I don’t care if she’s screaming poop when we have our family Zoom meetings. I’m going to encourage her to be little, to be young, to be silly, to be her.

Sometimes I wish I had done that with my son, but I knew he was only doing it because he adores attention. With her, I know it’s because she loves being silly. She’ll grow out of it in her own time. Or she’ll be old enough for me to tell her she can scream it at home, but nowhere else.

Me: What do you want for lunch?

Older Child: Cheez-Its and an apple and Dino chicken, but I’m not going to eat the Dino chicken.

Toddler: Poop!

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For more parenting posts or to read about my journey into finding magic in motherhood, head over to the Mother’s Corner.