Kellan: "Mama, are you edible to play with me?"

Me: "Ha, ha! Do you mean, am I 'available' to play with you?"

Kellan:  (pause) "No, edible."

It's amazing the types of words kids pick up. Even if you swear you've never used a specific word around your child, one day he'll say something completely surprising. My husband and I try to be extra careful about what we say and how we say it. Still, it's not always easy to remember that your preschooler is tuned into every word.

Once when Kellan was two years old, I asked flippantly, "Do you want a knuckle sandwich?" when he refused to eat anything I offered him. He looked at me and said, "I want an Uncle sandwich!" I couldn't produce this Uncle sandwich and that didn't go over well.

And  it's not even just words that can cause trouble. The tone of your voice can make a big impact. Tonight at dinner Erik and I were talking about the recent election. I got a little worked up about a specific issue and Kellan said, "Don't be angry, Mama!" We tried to explain to him that I wasn't angry with anyone, and that we were just talking about something that made me frustrated. I did feel badly about sounding angry though. Perhaps political discussions should be saved until after dinner.