“Daddy, I peed on my hand”
There’s a super annoying YouTube video that our kids love to watch about this little cartoon girl who nags her dad, “Daddy! Daddy! DaddyDaddyDaddyDaddy!”
The father, who’s reading his newspaper finally answers angrily “WHAT?!”
Never mind what happens later in the video (the girl tells him that she found a poop in the back yard and puts it on his newspaper), the constant ‘Daddy-ing’ of toddlers is somewhere high up there on the chart of annoyance, next to temper tantrums and bath-hating.
Lucky me, I am a rather patient person. I try to remain calm and reply to every “Daddy” (or in my case, “Abba,” which is apt enough as the Hebrew word for father as I am both Israeli and a major “Dancing Queen”). People around you will tell you that it’s “so cute” that they keep calling your name, others will say that “some day when they tell you to get out of their room you’ll miss the days they needed you” – all of this may be true. But in the moment when you want some time to yourself and the “Daddy”ing is unremitting — and you wonder WTF and want to deafen yourself–you’re not alone. In fact, I have yet to see a parent who doesn’t lose their patience with the constant nagging of their kids (my husband is losing his mind from it). But let’s face it – while annoying, it also can be funny.
Here’s what I mean: two days ago I put the kids to bed at 8pm as usual and the “Abba” requests just kept going. I was so far behind at filling requests and all I wanted to do is sink into some viewing of “This Is Us” which I’m currently bingewatching (great and inspiring show about parenting, by the way), but they kept calling me for more and more stuff, until I finally told them ‘Don’t call me any more, I’m unavailable right now!’ One of them cried a little bit, I felt a little guilty, but they soon fell asleep. Then yesterday, I decided to write down every sentence that uttered that started with calling me. I actually turned it into a game and at the end of the night read it out loud to Alex and we both lost it.
Are you ready? Here’s the list of “Abba”s from October 23rd between 5 pm until 8:30ish pm:
Abba can we have iPad time today?
Abba Adam hit me.
Abba I took off my shoe and there was so much sand.
Abba I want apple juice.
Abba How do you spell Love Made Me Do It?
Abba I have to go poop
Abba Look! (Shows me that the underwear left a mark on his skin)
Abba I peed on my hand.
Abba can you come wipe me?
Abba How do you spell Hopa Gangnam Style?
Abba Where are you?
Abba I need some soap. Can you give me soap?
Abba can we watch a movie?
Abba why is Woody pointing at Bo with the pencil?
Abba can I have Yogurt?
Abba I don’t want yogurt.
Abba can I press the white button on that thing?
Abba I want Apple juice
Abba where’s my apple juice?
Abba how much time until I get my apple juice?
Abba I fell.
Abba can you bring me my book?
Abba can you help me close my book?
And my dream entry… “Abba – you look tired. Why don’t you and Daddy take a little vacation and we’ll take care of ourselves.”