Being a parent can be one of the most daunting but rewarding jobs you will ever have. The challenges and rewards are many, but my favourite thing of all is the crazy stuff that comes out of their mouths. Their comments and ‘words of wisdom’ are priceless; making you laugh and smile, taking the edge off even the most stressful of days.
My oldest son Mason, now 4, started early with his comedic routine. At about 18 months we were coaching him to say his name. No matter how hard we tried, he kept saying “May-nus”. As in, rhymes with ‘anus’. We would get him to say “May”... and then “Son”... and then when it was time to put it together, it always came out as “Maynus”. And so his first nickname was hatched.
Fast forward a few years and I still wish I had a tape recorder running 99% of the time. Whether it’s hearing your child repeat one of your own Mom-isms (which is both terrifying and awesome at the same time), or getting their own personal view on things, there’s never a dull moment with a child around. Hearing my mini-me say “Oh my WORD” (our family’s alternative to potty mouth) or “Well, that’s just GREAT” (and he nails it, just dripping with sarcasm) makes me laugh out loud. It makes us very conscious about what we’re putting out there for our children to see and hear. Those little sponges don’t miss a beat, so it’s never a surprise when they pull out one of our own personal favourite lines.
And who can forget the moments when they make you laugh out loud with their own outlook on life. Getting ready for work one day last week, I busted out a new outfit that I was feeling really good about; a black & ivory striped long-sleeved tee, black open sweater vest, wide black belt, skinny jeans tucked into high boots. I was feeling quite fashionable; very chic. As I was pulling on my boots, Mason was looking at me funny so I asked if he liked my outfit. His response; "Yes, but you forgot your hat." I was confused, and asked "What are you talking about?" and he answered, "Your pirate hat for your Hallowe'en costume". I totally got burned by a 4 year old. And even worse; my husband was there to to witness it. Double burn. On the bright side, I got a lot of compliments on my outfit at work that day. But once I pointed out the pirate likeness, the general consensus was that they could see the resemblance. Safe to say I probably won’t wear that one again...
Then there was that time during Shark Week when my aquatic obsessed child started talking in an Aussie accent (“Crikey Mum, that there’s a SHOCK!”). Or the day he announced that he had an imaginary friend who went by the name of "Justin Beaver".
When kids say the sweetest things it just melts your heart. This past September marked Mason’s first year of school; full day Kindergarten no less. He was used to going to daycare while I was at work, but I was still nervous about the start of school. Like most other parents I was worried about Mason making friends, doing well with reading and writing, having a nice teacher, etc... It turns out I was more worried about it than he was. As I was dropping him off at school, he turned to me and said confidently, “I’m going to make a friend today”. I can say that Mason sure didn’t shed a tear during school drop-off that day... I can’t say the same for Mommy. And it turns out, I had nothing to be worried about; he has a super new BFF named Nate and he also adores his teacher, who he says is “pretty, but not as pretty as you Mommy”.
I can honestly say that I will cherish these little one-liners forever, and I look forward to hearing what our 15-month-old Max will have to say when he starts chatting up a storm.
What do your kids say that make you laugh out loud? Whether they’ve come out with something hilarious, embarrassing, or just plain darling; guaranteed your kids have made you smile lately.

Miranda