Sarcasm and almost three-year-olds don’t work
I have a bit of a sarcastic sense of humor. It edges on biting at times. At work I like to keep the mood light and I will lightheartedly pick on those who I know can take it and enjoy it when they give it right back to me. For example, if a co-worker starts off a story by saying, “My friends and I…” I will quickly interject with a “Oh, c’mon, you don’t have friends.”
This usually produces a laugh at work. At home, however, I’m finding that using sarcasm with a toddler will produce other, not so good, emotions.
Just this past weekend, for example, we were telling the Monk and Swee’Pea that we were going to go out that day. We kept telling them that we would be going “bye-bye” in just a little bit. TheMonk, however, must have been pretty excited because he kept asking me, “We gonna go bye-bye, Daddy?” After assuring him that, yes, we would be going “bye-bye” he’d ask again a few minutes later. With the same answer.
Finally, for about the 20th time, he asked again.
TheMonk: “Swee’pea’s gonna go bye-bye?”
Me: “Yes.”
TheMonk: “And I gonna go bye-bye too?”
Me: Turning to look at him and with a sad face, I reply, “No, buddy. I think you’re gonna stay home with Nutty Kitty today. Mama, Daddy and Swee’Pea are gonna go bye-bye but you’re going to stay here. Okay?”
TheMonk: Looks at me. Blinks once. Blinks twice. Blinks three times… And then bursts into tears.
So, maybe we’ll wait to introduce sarcasm until he’s three.
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That’s cold, just plain cold. Da’Gorgeouses aren’t sophisticated enough for me to introduce sarcasm yet, they’d just look at me and say “huh?.” That’s why poor DrillSgt. has to bear the brunt of it, I don’t have work buddies to torture anymore–lol!!
Comment by MamáChanga — May 15, 2008 @ 11:28 pm
Oh, c’mon, you don’t have a sense of humor.
Comment by Whit — May 16, 2008 @ 12:32 am
matthew henry! ease up on those toddlers of yours!
have you scraped his heart off the ground yet?
Comment by roxanne — May 16, 2008 @ 7:24 am
You are just a BAD DADDY
I have to tell you, even at 8 it takes a while for them to process the sarcasim.
Comment by mp — May 16, 2008 @ 8:15 am
just wait until they start using the sarcasm on you…;)
Comment by ali — May 16, 2008 @ 8:19 am
Staying home might be one thing but staying home with Nutty Kitty justifies tears.
Who is Nutty Kitty, anyway?
Comment by Above Average Joe — May 16, 2008 @ 9:19 am
Nutty Kitty is Nutmeg the cat, Joe. The cat was the “baby” before Swee’Pea and TheMonk arrived.
If I didn’t use sarcasm on the kids, I might go mad. Not that Tad understands it, but the look on Ane’s face when I’ve said something sarcastic is priceless as she tries to process whether I’m serious or not.
Comment by Deanna — May 16, 2008 @ 9:52 am
YOU! GO TO TIME OUT, RIGHT NOW!!! And then we are leaving YOU home with Nutty Kitty! I take that back, you would LIKE THAT! Ok, I’m quitting my job and moving next door.
Comment by Grandmother — May 16, 2008 @ 1:54 pm
We are just getting to where we can use sarcasm with the younger ones. They get slightly upset and usually repeat what we said in a kind of voice that doesn’t quite believe we said it and then the older kids bust out laughing and tell them that we are just joking around.
Comment by Julie — May 16, 2008 @ 2:44 pm
Trust me. It doesn’t work with 3 year olds either. Trust me on this one.
Comment by cathy — May 16, 2008 @ 6:28 pm
No, you’ve got it all wrong. The problem here is that you haven’t used the sarcasm enough. If I said this to Thomas, he would just turn to Liz and say “Daddy’s just teasing. You’re teasing, daddy.” More is definitely more in this case.
Comment by Ben — May 19, 2008 @ 2:25 pm
My older daughter was about three and a half when she learned to say “Are you being sar-tastic, mama?”
Comment by sara — May 27, 2008 @ 11:15 am
Ruh-roh, Grandma’s coming! That’ll learn ya’! Go, Grandma! (I like that Grandma comments here.)
Sometimes they don’t get sarcasm at 8 or 9, either. 3-y.o. definitely not.
Comment by ladybughugs — June 27, 2008 @ 1:49 pm