Wow, that guy looks just like the Fonz from Happy Days!’ Dad says this as he is taking his two almost teenage daughters for ice cream. And in perfect unison, uncommon for sisters this age they respond with a smirk ‘who is the Fonz?’ Hence starts the laughter and chuckles about ‘living in the day’ and the age of their father. Then the snide comments about the jeans mom wears and the music she listens to in the car. While mom is gardening, she is wearing her faded and trusty Bon Jovi t-shirt only to get laughed at by the same girls who have no idea (or clue) about who the heck Bon Jovi was. Only the greatest band to ever live. And they think Lady Gaga rocks.
Kids are curious creatures. No matter how badly we want to mesh them into our grown up worlds, they just don’t fit. While this is probably a good thing in many cases, they prove their differences in all the funny things kids say (some of which make sense) from toddler hood to the teen years and beyond. Probably most hilarious are all the zany questions and answers they have for mom and dad when they are little. Their favorite question is why, why, why. Some kids are worse with it and with every answer following the why comes some sort of crazy kid logic that can only make adults stand and wonder. They don’t understand why grown ups ‘taste’ the pages of a book when they read and flip pages they question the stork in dumbo, or wonder why the world cant be just like it is in Dora the Explorer movies.
Even funnier than the funny things kids say, is how they say the funny things. Many kids see ‘fire frucks’ and twist their words into hysterical lyrics of life that live on in the memories of parents everywhere. Other funny things are said from the sheer honesty of innocence only prevalent in children under 8. Since they don’t associate humanly flaws with any negativity they aren’t worried about calling perfect stranger fat or commenting on their stinky breath. In fact, it isn’t until the hushing by parents is enforced long enough that children bridle this honesty. In many respects, life would be much easier and funnier if we all lived that way. Rather than always finding the polite way to tell people what we think we could blurt it out with the raw and unrestrained emotion of a toddler. Imagine the next time someone upsets you just reaching for their hand and biting them as hard as you can like a two year old. Why? Because you were mad and they were being mean. The sad part is there is a good chance this person would think twice before being ‘mean’ to someone else again.
Some of the funny things kids say are quite simply truths of being. it’s easy to see why children, whose world is fuzzy and protected by every grown up they know can’t understand why mom and dad don’t just kiss and make up after a fight. Ask a kid where money comes from, who the president is, what mommy does all day and if there teacher is good or bad and chances are you will get reputable accounts and reviews. Recently, a child asked what to do about the oil spill in the gulf wanted to know why we were drilling in the sea anyways? Another believed an American was anyone who lived, worked, or had a family in the United States. Yet another upon being asked what he thought about Obama being the first black president responded with a quizzical look and boastings that he was the first black boy up his slide at school.
Some of the funniest things kids say are things about their families. A preschool class was asked several questions about their mothers and the responses were laughable, heartfelt, and honest. Question 1, was why did God make mothers? The responses ranged from to help clean the house and because she is the only one who ‘knows where the scotch tape in the house is.’ When asked what mom needed to know about dad before she married him, the kids responded with his last name, if he was a crook, whether he made $800per year and did he say NO to drugs. When asked why their mom married their dad the answers (clearly tainted) were because she didn’t have her thinking cap on, because she was too old to do anything else, and because he made the best spaghetti in the world!
IN other instances, the funnies come from misunderstandings. When a child hears the word ‘benign’ they think you are talking about the age you will be after you are eight. In fact, ask a child in your life what any big word means and you will be lit up with laughter at the response. Ask them about love, marriage and what the world should do about their bigger problems it faces and you might be surprised at how candid and spot on they are with their answers. And if you are ever in doubt about what to do about a fork in the road hand it over to a child and see what they think. While their answer may be funny it will also probably be heart felt and sobering.
The funny things kids say whether accidental or on purpose should be enough fuel to cause any adult in this world to pause and wonder what happened to their own honesty and humor. Even more interesting, look at the funny things kid say with a microscope and see just how much influence your own words and actions have over their life. It is true that children are much like a sponge absorbing and taking in everything they can from the world around them. While some of the things they say may be funny now, they may also be indicators of what kind of parents we are. When a child sees the world, they see it with optimism and love. Remember that soon, this humor and optimism will deepen to negativity and rebellion. Suddenly, they will be laughing at the things that you say and do. And your Bon Jovi t-shirt!
Real Life Examples of Funny Things Kids Say
“Dad is it more fun to be a rock star than a princess”‘. Abby after seeing a commercial promoting theK-tel’s Mini Pop Kids album’ age 4
“Look mom ‘ I’m making my own clouds” Abby noticing hear breath on a crisp winter morning in January – age 4
“I couldn’t handle another baby brother dad!” Abby replying to our question if she would like another brother or sister age 4
“Are you $21mad at me dad?” – Abby’s response when I told her I was upset with her. – age 4
‘owen what is the matter with you’ tell me now! You know you can’t touch that!’ Abby noticing that her little brother (15 months) was touching mommies desk. ‘age 4
Joy is a 3.5 year old. Her Grandma babysat her for the day. When her Dad arrived at the door to pick her up, he asked her, “Did you have a good time?” Joy answers, “Are you talking to me or to Grandma?”
Mom can I have some hand cream and a kleenex… “Why?”… Abby and I are going to play doctor. Jack 5 years old
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