Two year olds will say some pretty random stuff. Sometimes it makes no sense. Sometimes it’s from something you did weeks ago.
Thing 3 does what I call a running commentary about nothing. Whatever pops into his mind cones out in words.
“Wow! A rock. I don’t like that. I eat feet.”
The “I don’t like that” comes out often because it’s being taught at preschool as a way to use words to express himself instead of having a tantrum.
I generally don’t pay much attention to his constant stream of consciousness. But sometimes you need to play close attention to what’s being said because it can be a clue to something important going on. Like a bad home environment or physical abuse.
Which brings us to Thing 3’s latest phrase he’s learning by using in all the wrong places. At preschool the children are taught to use their words, “Don’t hit me”, when their preschool friends hit them, instead of hitting them back.
Now, whenever you touch him, he responds with don’t hit me. When I go to comb his hair – don’t hit me. Change his diaper – don’t hit me. Put on his shirt – don’t hit me.
First it was the unexplained scratches all over his body (he likes to walk in the bushes), then the bruises (he jumps off everything), and now he goes around saying don’t hit me when anyone comes near him. It’s only a matter of time before someone assumes the worst and calls child protective services on me.