Watch What You Say!

I have three children, all three boys! My oldest is in his Independent stage and trying his best to stay away from home as much as possible. My two younger boys, however, are still at that age they want to be right up under mommy and daddy. But I am not complaining. There is only 16 months between their ages so they do fight A LOT but most of the time it's not to bad.

My oldest is 5 years older than his brothers so they do not have alot to talk about and so there was never alot of talking going on among the kids until they got old enough to carry on a conversation. So now my youngest two are 8 and 10 and they seem to always have alot to talk about. Sometimes they say the silliest things I cannot help but laugh at! Normally most of their talking comes during watching T.V and they will not talk alot to each other when they know I am listening so I figured out away to make them think I am not paying any attention to them.

I read alot so when they are watching their kids shows I usually grab a book and start reading, Now sometimes I am really reading and into the book and really do not hear all that they say, but if one of my kids say something off the wall or out of the ordinary I will hear it no matter what. But most of the time I am not really reading I am just waiting and listening.

What started making me pay more attention to their conversations?

One evening my husband was on the phone with a friend, He and I had an argument over breakfast that morning. Nothing major just a disagreement on plans we had made for the weekend. After he left for work I called one of my friends and joking made a comment that I was not going to fix dinner that evening or for the rest of the week. I had no idea the kids were paying any attention to me? SO anyway I did not cook dinner that night we had take-out instead ONLY because I was really busy that day and did not have time to make dinner so I just grabbed something on the way home But never the less my husband does not really care for take-out.

Well apparently My husband's friend called him while he was eating his take-out and somewhere in the phone conversation he jokingly said something about our argument that morning and that I must still be mad since he is eating take-out? Well the kids were listening to his conversation too! So later that night I put the kids in their bunk beds and said goodnight.

A few minutes later I was walking by their bedroom door and I could hear them talking to each other? So of course I stopped and listened. This was a few years ago so they were around six and eight at that time. I heard my 6 year old say "So do really think they are going to be OK bubba'? My ten year old 'Garrett' said "Yes Jessie I am AMOST positive." "So you dont think we will have to eat take-out fo the rest of our lives?" Jessie asked. "No I already told you jessie mom will cook except for once a month." "Are you sure bubba?"Jessie asked again. "Yes ,dad said when he was on the phone it must just be that time of the month, She will be alright in a few days."

Well you can imagine my surprise, I almost fell in their bedroom door! SO after that my husband and I realized we really had to watch our words around them from now on. Because you never know when they may be trying to listen to your conversation!