Stupid Neighbor
Amanda today uttered what Jismyl mumbled in frustration over our inconsiderate neighbor living several floors above us. It wasn’t over some trivial matters but perpetual selfish behavior that annoys and inconvenienced others besides us.
So out of frustration, Jismyl muttered “that stupid neighbor.” Unbeknown to her, Amanda heard that and without understanding the significance uttered the same. Actually she was trying to tell me that mommy has gone upstairs to confront that neighbor. So she said “that stupid neighbor” several times over. Later when I brought her for toileting (she’s still in training), Amanda periodically muttered “stupid neighbor.”
I suppose a valuable lesson learned – don’t assume that children can’t hear what we mutter under our breath. They catch it real quick and unfortunately lacking the cognitive capability to process the context and reason for choice of words (or the lack thereof). Parenting indeed requires robust effort!
