Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Secret Words

We have had an issue lately regarding the older boys being on our lovely Kindergartner's case about everything- not putting the toothpaste cap on (like they are so good at it), not helping when they are supposed to be cleaning up, not closing the car door.

Whatever he does or doesn't do, they have been all over his case about it like they got their mother badges  and thought they needed to try them out.

I explained— I am his mother and he has a father. He does not need two more parents. I couldn't even handle three people telling me what to do all the time. I didn't even like it when there was one. You BOTH need to STOP.


Unfortunately, this was not so easy for them. It had become a habit. Because I didn't want Toots to know every time I was reminding them that they were not to tell him ANYTHING unless it was something nice and that they were to just WALK AWAY if he was annoying them, I came up with a different strategy.

It wasn't planned. It was something more organic. It went like this.

Jackie Boy- Ty, you are stepping on that book with your wet boots.
ME- TACO!
Jackie Boy- What?
ME- TACO!
Jackie Boy (laughing) MOM- I don't know what you are talking about.
ME- Come here. 


I explained that I wanted him to stop telling Toots what to do and so my new secret word to remind him was- TACO.

Ohhhhhh.  Like it made perfect sense.

Somehow, Toots must have caught on though because when we were skiing this weekend and Mister Luke was telling him (in a loud voice) to move his pole out of the way, Toots looked and him and said, "TACO!"

It was hilarious.
Now we have changed it to any food. Right now, PINEAPPLE is the favorite secret word.

I have one friend who has a secret call that her family does so they can find each other on the ski mountain. Another mom I know gave her kids a secret word they could say to her on the phone if they ever want to come home from someones house. I love these ideas.

Does your family have any uses for secret words?






4 comments:

Erin MacPherson said...

Hi Brigetta! I love this... we've never used secret words but I'm totally going to teach my 5-year-old a secret word... probably for the same thing... what to do when his little sister is annoying him. :) Thanks for your kind advice on my blog today... it means a lot to hear the thoughts/ideas of people who have been there. So thank you!

Joybird said...

No but I love it. I was reading Jaime the VWM the other day and she said that she tells her kids, "It is me and your dad's job to raise your brother. Your one job is to love him." I can't tell you how often God has told me that same phrase this week about other family members in my life. Maybe now He can just shorten it to "Taco."

Foursons said...

My husband and I whistle that song in The Breakfast Club when we are looking for each other in the store.

Farmgirl Paints said...

That is a really cool idea! My oldest definitely mothers the younger one too. As a matter of fact I think she does a better job than me on most days...yikes;o