On Potty Stories
Dear Young Moms and Dads of the World:
Contrary to some rumors, I do like children. I love to hear stories about how they develop and learn and grow.
I am especially fond of linguistic stories of how children learn to use language.
I love to teach them things.
I, however, have zero desire to hear what may be termed "potty stories".
And I would further suggest that I am not alone in this.
I am sure it is a struggle to potty train a child. And I understand that sharing a difficult experience with others who have also shared the experience is a way of bonding. I also understand that humor is a way of avoiding the facts of a situation.
But just because you may have to laugh at such things to cope -- or perhaps because you genuinely enjoy the processes -- does not mean that other people want to hear about it. (If they do, by all means....)
I am not being overly harsh. There are plenty of things in life that people keep to themselves out of common courtesy. In most instances, it would be rude for me to talk about dissecting a frog at the dinner table. I should probably not describe in detail the account of the last time I vomited. Talking about one's time in the bathroom is typically juvenile. Only under very special circumstances is it proper to discuss what goes on in bedrooms to one's friends.
While, unfortunately, such topics are the bulk of most modern comedy films these days, not everyone is comfortable with discussing them.
Maybe people should be comfortable with such things, but rudeness is based on what the other person is or isn't comfortable with, not on how things should be.
Now, I also know that you selflessly love your cute and funny children no matter what they do -- and how rightfully so! However, it does not logically follow that, just because your child may well be adorable and/or hilariously funny, everything that proceeds from his body is also adorable and/or funny -- especially to other people.
So please feel free to discuss such stories among yourselves, you who have little children, but please be kind to those of us who do not and refrain from publicly blogging, Twittering, or Facebooking about potty mishaps and successes.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
lhynard
Comment link for Facebook readers
Contrary to some rumors, I do like children. I love to hear stories about how they develop and learn and grow.
I am especially fond of linguistic stories of how children learn to use language.
I love to teach them things.
I, however, have zero desire to hear what may be termed "potty stories".
And I would further suggest that I am not alone in this.
I am sure it is a struggle to potty train a child. And I understand that sharing a difficult experience with others who have also shared the experience is a way of bonding. I also understand that humor is a way of avoiding the facts of a situation.
But just because you may have to laugh at such things to cope -- or perhaps because you genuinely enjoy the processes -- does not mean that other people want to hear about it. (If they do, by all means....)
I am not being overly harsh. There are plenty of things in life that people keep to themselves out of common courtesy. In most instances, it would be rude for me to talk about dissecting a frog at the dinner table. I should probably not describe in detail the account of the last time I vomited. Talking about one's time in the bathroom is typically juvenile. Only under very special circumstances is it proper to discuss what goes on in bedrooms to one's friends.
While, unfortunately, such topics are the bulk of most modern comedy films these days, not everyone is comfortable with discussing them.
Maybe people should be comfortable with such things, but rudeness is based on what the other person is or isn't comfortable with, not on how things should be.
Now, I also know that you selflessly love your cute and funny children no matter what they do -- and how rightfully so! However, it does not logically follow that, just because your child may well be adorable and/or hilariously funny, everything that proceeds from his body is also adorable and/or funny -- especially to other people.
So please feel free to discuss such stories among yourselves, you who have little children, but please be kind to those of us who do not and refrain from publicly blogging, Twittering, or Facebooking about potty mishaps and successes.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
lhynard
Comment link for Facebook readers