My older two boys are finally old enough to appreciate the Home Alone movie series. This year over Christmas, they watched both Home Alone and Home Alone 2 several times. I gladly sat with them and relived the glorious, albeit sometimes inappropriate, 90’s childhood. We eventually made it to Home Alone 3 and even though Macaulay Culkin is no longer the main character, they were still fully invested.
There is one scene in particular from Home Alone 3 they thought was hilarious. Maybe you’ve laughed at it too. The “bad guys” (as my boys call them) are chasing Alex through the house. As they are searching each room, Alex’s pet rat “Doris” finds her way into a hole in the crotch area of Mr. Jernigan’s pants. When Alice (another “bad guy”) sees Doris, she attempts to use a crow bar to clobber the rat but, in true Home Alone fashion, nails Mr. Jernigan right between the legs. Then comes the part my boys have been reciting over and over again for the last few months: “You smacked my winkie!” It’s a classic. Even I can’t help but grin and chuckle every time they say it.
Along the same lines, my middle son is our class clown. He has perfect comedic timing and is always coming up with new hilarious bits to make us laugh. For example, one day we were eating supper at the dinner table when he leaned over with a completely serious face and whispered in my ear, “Butt fart.” It is instances like these that make me fully relish my boy mom status.
I will admit, there are some days when I get tired of hearing talk about poop, farts, winkies and the like. I do occasionally ask them to talk about something else, but in general, we try to give our boys the freedom to express themselves. I am no child development expert, but it seems to me that a boy’s attraction to poop and farts is hard-wired into them. It’s not something they are taught, they just come by it naturally.
Now, on a more serious note, we have had plenty of conversations about when and where discussions like these are appropriate, and where they are not. When my firstborn was heading off to preschool last year, we reminded him several times that some of his words may not be appropriate in his classroom setting. We made it very clear that he can absolutely use anatomically correct words when telling a teacher, parent, or health professional about his body. Penis and vagina are not bad words. But in order to have good manners, there are some situations where it is better to keep those words himself.
As a mom of three boys, this is a tight-rope we are learning how to walk. It seems like this has its ups and downs. But, as much as we are able, I want my boys to feel comfortable in their own home. I want them to never feel ashamed of their bodies. I want them to feel free to laugh and joke about the things they think are funny. At our house, we are trying to normalize the boy vocabulary; poop, farts, winkies, and all.
