We're Not Proud

Our sweet little punkin' hasn't been so sweet this week. When he's not happy, he's started telling Russ and I, "You 'tupid Mama" and "You 'tupid Dada." Clearly something he's picked up at school because he's never heard that word from one of us. We've tried ignoring (most of the time), but sometimes this has made me so angry, I thought I could snap.

The consequence that has received the most reaction is going into our bedroom and shutting the door, leaving him alone in the rest of the house (scary, I know). He cries outside the bedroom door and usually says "Sorry Mama, (I'll) be nice." or sometimes I'll get the dreaded, "You 'tupid Mama!"

I'm not really sure how to break my 2 1/2 year old of this habit.

Dada tried washing his mouth out with soap. That worked wonders!! Russ took him into the bathroom (when I was on the verge of snapping) and was going to touch a bar of soap to his tongue. Instead, Riley went all out, closed his mouth on the bar of soap, and proceeded to say, "Mmmmm Dada! Good!" Well...not exactly the reaction we expected. Russ ran out of the bathroom trying not to laugh to tell me that his idea was a miserable failure.

It honestly breaks my heart to hear him say it (and burns me up at the same time) because I know he doesn't really have a concept of what it means. He knows to say it when he's angry (when he doesn't get his way). I can't reason with him, just put out my pouty lip and let it know that it hurts feelings when he says it. He still doesn't get it, but does say "I sorry Mama."