After we ate our weight in seafood for 2 1/2 days, Mr Handsome decided he needed to burn some calories, so he went on a 5 mile run. It was 83° and humid, and he came back exhausted.
Later that evening, while we were walking to the beach to watch one last sunset before returning home, Mr. Handsome complained that his legs were burning. Little Buddy gave me a horrified look and began walking in circles around Mr. Handsome, fixating on his legs. We couldn’t figure out what he was doing until he remarked, “Daddy, why you say your legs are on fire?”
We had a good chuckle and then explained to Little Buddy that sometimes adults say their legs are burning when they just mean they are tired after a long run.
Have you ever confused your child or someone else’s child by using an expression that does not make literal sense?
Anonymous
My toddler pitched a fit in the mall one time, hollering “I want to go on the escal NOW!” not the “escal later.” (Get it?) Only way to appease the situation was to go on the “escal” immediately. We still laugh about that one.
I never could, as a child, understand why my family was going to the Pinocchios for vacation. (Poconos)
Ellie
Oh that’s funny!! She’s never going to live that one down.
Sarah
A little different. I used to teach ballet to 8 year olds. We were working on arabesque’s and I thought I was being clear with my pronunciation. (An arabesque is an extension of the leg behind you). The next class, a little girl asked me if we would be working on air baskets. Confused, I said oh I’m not sure if we’ll get to it this week. So when we did start to practice them later in class, she excitedly yelled air baskets, air baskets. Lol. I was laughing inside. I then had the class say the word a few times after me. Still gives me a chuckle.
Ellie
Haha! That’s great! And sounds like a fun job, teaching ballet to 8 year olds.
Alayna
When one of my girls was younger, my husband asked her how she slept. She said uh, on my pillow.
Ellie
Haha!
Jennifer
When we were younger – dad is military- we lived in Italy. Sometimes my dad would stop at the local doughnut shop and always ask my mom if she wanted anything in particular. My little brother started asking for “titulars”- it took a moment and a chuckle ( and a fit or two) before they got that he was asking for doughnuts 😂😂
Ellie
Oh my!
MarriedUK
My eight year old has autism, so he often gives a literal interpretation of sentences like that…
However, as he has got older, he’s got quite good at knowing people say things which should not be taken literally so he would probably say: “hmmm, do you mean that they FEEL like they’re burning because they don’t look to me like they are…”
His most common mistake is rhetorical questions: he simply does not understand why people would ask a question which they don’t want to know the answer to…
Ellie
I’m right there with him, wondering why we ask rhetorical questions. It’s kind of goofy if you really think about it! LOL.
MarriedUK
He is great for pointing out foolishness and hypocrisy… it’s really tricky trying to explain to him the difference between lying and politeness (but mummy, I don’t care about her news… why should i say it’s been nice to see speak to her etc. etc.)