The Pantry Has a Potty Mouth

Allison came up from the play room and asked for a snack, so I told her she could get one out of the pantry. She brought out a snack and said, "The pantry said d--- it!" Considering that Charlie and Sarah still speak in hushed tones of "the 'd' word" and "the 's' word" referring to dumb and stupid, I was stunned by her bona fide cuss word.

"What??" I asked. She repeated it.
"Where did you hear that word?"
A: "The pantry said it."
Me: "No. Tell me the truth. Where did you hear that?"
A: "From the pantry. I went in to get my snack and the pantry said d--- it."
Me: "Allison, that is a very bad word. Pantries can't talk. Tell me who said that word to you."
A: "The pantry said d--- it."
Me: "OK. Stop saying that. Go up to your room until you are ready to tell me the truth."

She went to her room for a long time, and in the interim I decided I was giving the word too much of a reaction and so I decided to forgo my former line of questioning. When she came out, I told her, "That is not a nice word, and I don't want to hear you say that again. OK?" She agreed.

When Bryant came home, I told him about the incident. He immediately said, "Oh, I'm sure she must have heard me say that sometime!" So apparently she was covering for her daddy.

*****

Two days later, Charlie, Allison, and Bryant were all in the same room, and Charlie said, "Dang it!" Allison rushed over to Bryant and tattled, "Charlie said d--- it!" Bryant tried to explain that that was not what Charlie said and not what Allison should be saying. I don't think Charlie has any idea that dang it is a euphemism, although I guess his baby sister is going to teach him a thing or two.

She also runs around saying "Stupid Boy," which is apparently a country song she and Bryant hear often on the radio, so again, she says words that Charlie and Sarah don't dare say. She is also the first person to utter "Shut up" in our house, including, her very first time, a sassy "I have two words for you: Shut. Up." to Sarah. The big kids were horrified and didn't even repeat the words when they were telling on her. I don't know where she heard that, but it certainly wasn't from Charlie or Sarah.

I guess Allison needs to stop hanging out with the pantry.