Grasping the nettle

Emma has discovered the word merde.

She first said it a couple of weeks back in the evening after I left her all day with the nice but-still-not-sure-I-completely-trust-her babysitter. "Oh merde!" she exclaimed, joyfully over her pasta and broccoli, apropos of nothing much. She got a telling off (which made her less joyful) and so did the babysitter, who told me the TV repair man said it when he dropped the TV at her apartment. (My first thought was yeah, right! But I gave her the benefit of the doubt.)

She quickly cottoned on that the m word was terrific fun and an excellent way of getting a rise out of Mum and Dad. There were tears and M and D arguing and handwringing over How to Discipline Our Potty-Mouthed Three Year Old Child. Now that's entertainment! Way better than watching the Andy Pandy DVD.

She didn't say it again until yesterday, when out it popped 2 or 3 times, each time E obviously looking for a reaction. As we were out and about with no naughty corner to send her to, I just put on my scary face - it's pretty good - and my stern, scary voice and warned of no choc ices later. But then she was sweet and there were choc ices later.

Today at lunchtime - cheesey toast, thanks for asking - she said it again, loud and clear. But I was tired and I had had enough. So she got sent to her room and Gloria got the remains of her lunch. She stayed wailing and protesting behind the babygate (the bars of which make it pleasingly penal-seeming) for a good half an hour. Eventually, through the sobs, came "Mu..mm.yyy I ...want...to...say.soo rrry". But I was still feeling like hard Hitler mother, and sorry didn't cut it, so I made her say sorry and that she wouldn't say it again, unless she wanted BIG TROUBLE.

She's out now, we're friends again and she's now fast asleep in our bed with Brian pressed against one cheek. I am drinking cherry tea and loving being on the computer after a long blog absence. Glory is screaming and fighting sleep, but you can't have everything. I don't feel guilty about being hard with her... I feel it was harsh but fair, but you never know I s'pose.

My next post will be called The Cane - Underrated, Underused?