Disciplined Carter for something he didn't even do.

Kersbear

For weeks we thought Carter was saying the word retard.  We had no clue where he picked it up and it is not an acceptable word (in the context he was using it- "so and so is a retard", "I love you retard") in our house.  So the first couple of times we discussed that, that word is hurtful and not acceptable.  Then we started sending him on time outs for it. 

Then a few days ago he said it again and I again told him it wasn't acceptable and told him to go to time out.  He turns to me and says, "but Mom you said it."  That's when it hit me, he hasn't been saying retard at all, he's been saying sweetheart (which I had just said to him), but even after having surgery for being tongue tied his speech is sometimes unclear. 

 I apologized for putting him on time outs, explained that I thought he was saying a different word, and that he could say sweetheart.  He was fine with it, but I usually know everything he's saying, even if not everybody else does and even I thought he was saying an inappropriate word.

winery

OMG, that is so sad! 

Poor guy! 

 

butterbeansmama

Oh, poor baby. How sad. I would be kicking myself, but it's definitely understandable. There speech at this age is not the easiest to understand. P still says "girl", like "girdle". No idea where he got the d from....lol.

#6

Oh, poor lil guy.  Glad you figured it out though.   

 

Kersbear

He must have heard me wrong as well when I asked him the first time he said it because I even said, "did you just say the word retard".  He said, "yes" and that's why we thought he was actually saying the word we heard.  After though knowing he has been trying to say sweetheart, I know exactly what he's saying now.

 I am kicking myself, but luckily he never threw a fit or anything when it came to time out.  He would just go to his room sit quietly for his time out to be over and then come out and apologize. 

sooosie

Awwww poor little guy!  Good thing he could express to you that he heard you say it, at least.

Zenya

oh that is really sad!

jayhawk25

My son was doing the same thing!  I was appalled when he called our dog "retard" and wandered where he heard the term.  It was especially confusing because he would pat her lovingly as he said it.  I finally figured out it was sweetheart!

belle204

oh, no. don't feel too bad. i almost spanked amarah b/c i thought she was saying the "n" word. i kept asking her to stop b/c it's an ugly word. finally she pulled up a video on youtube and showed me this justin bieber song called "bigger." i felt awful. she said, "i told you!"

brightning

That is so sad! Good thing their memories are pretty short.