Wife did embarrassing thing in hotel, now DD is copying – WWYD?

It’s just a bit of a lame joke. If she suddenly stated shouting “Aubergine” at random junctures, THAT would be very odd. This is just a bit daft.

We were in a very fancy hotel in Italy, a glam older lady (looked very old money, dressed to the nines, dripping in diamonds) came out of the cubicle in the restroom and my son looked her square in the eyes and asked “Did you do a wee or a poo?”

Thats embarrassing. “Housekeeping” is kind of cute.

As embarrassing things that children say go, this is pretty mild. Just ignore it and she'll forget about it eventually. If she's getting a reaction from you, she'll continue. I do think you must be a bit uptight if this bothers you a lot - I don't think anyone else would care or even notice. Little children say lots of funny and weird stuff, don't take it so seriously!

Is this real

This. The wife sounds odd, but the child, being only 4, will not cause anyone to be upset. It’s not fair on DD if your wife continues with this sort of thing though.🤷‍♀️🙄

From the child - not the end of the world

From your wife - not funny

Me and my husband do it with the standard Mexican voice (we're Hispanic before anyone starts) 😂

Do you not make jokes ever?

Your anxiety is out of control.

You are actually catastrophising here.

You come across as extremely sincere and earnest and not really aware that none of the behaviour you are finding mortifying is at all problematic. The lack of perspective wrt your wife and daughter's funny habit as well as your lack of perspective as to how strange your own reaction is are both indications that you might need some support.

I assume from your posts that you've had several conversations with your wife about this. I'm going to hazard a guess that she is finding your anxiety really hard to deal with.

I really think you should see your doctor about your anxiety/ embarassment problem.

It’s still very odd imo.

You have no idea what mortifying is. Once in a doctor's waiting room my friend with her 4yo, an old man goes in coughing his guts up, 4yo walks right up to him and says "you're gonna die mister". Same girl, different visit spots a lady with a hunch back, blurts out "Mummy, that lady is pregnant on her back".

So forgive me but "housekeeping" is just cute. You're wife is cute too, appreciate her.

Understand where you're coming from. That sort of thing gets teeth grindingly irritating after a very short while.... The novelty will wear off soon enough though.

Like everyone else I dont get why this is in any way embarrassing, it's the kind of thing that lots of people might say when knocking on a door. No way is your child going to be doing it for the rest of her live in public loos 😂

The real test of time is to take her to the Sistine Chapel and see what she does. Hold off on the divorce papers for now.

Another man here giving out about his wife!!!

I thought you were going to say she was stealing stuff and getting the kid to do it too. You’ve obviously never been really embarrassed

Do you like your wife or do you find her annoying in general

What’s mortifying is your poor wife being stuck on holiday with a humourless bore.

Just worried she’s going to do it in some really inappropriate setting (imagine at a doctor’s surgery or a school assembly!).

If she’s saying it to announce herself before bursting into a consultation room when someone is mid-smear, I can see your point. Otherwise I don’t think it’s a major problem.

I have news for you. 4 year-olds do often say highly inappropriate and embarrassing things, and it could be a heck of a lot worse than 'housekeeping'.

I am significantly more disturbed that you would refer to a vagina as 'sexual interiors'...

@pbopkg why are you mortified? Its a silly joke, you may not find it funny but it is just a silly joke. No one else will give a shit.

Also if you think this is mortifying, you're in a for a rough ride as small children often like to announce all sorts of things to strangers, and will do so frequently - more if you make a big fuss about it!

A small child belonging to friends of mine went through a hilarious (to me, not so much to them) of LEAPING through doorways (at home, school, shops etc) announcing THE FART MONSTER!!!! and hitting a squat and letting out a fart either from his backside or his mouth depending on what he had brewing at the time.

He only stopped it when he accidentally followed through in the middle of Asda and realised the error of his ways.

This. It's funny.

Oh please do share some of the shit your kids did, to show OP just how ridiculous it is to be mortified by this obviously😁

What are sexual interiors when they're at home?. You don't get them at IKEA

I’d do nothing. Cos IME the quickest way to get a kid to keep on doing something that is low-grade annoying (or even nuclear-grade) is to overtly make an issue out of it. My DD ( then aged 4/5) once went round to a family member’s house and started saying all the rude words she could think of. It coincided with them sitting quietly reading their book. This was a bold move cos they’re not renowned for their GSOH. They continued to read for a while, then got up and said why don’t we do x (ie. an activity that wasn’t sitting on the couch reading/saying sketchy words). Didn’t do it again (probably cos it obtained zero reaction, and neither censure or any perceived reward, either immediately or latterly).

I think she probably did that cos she was feeling like no-one was paying her enough attention in the moment. Or maybe she just wondered what might happen. Nothing did, so no point doing it again, then. Isn’t overly given to profanity either, many years later. Phew.

It’s not quite the same but I wonder if your DD knows it bothers you. Or if your DD likes the feeling of being funny and thinks it’s funny when her mum does it and funny you don’t like it. Maybe she’s looking for a reaction. Or subconsciously asserting her right to yell housekeeping 😂 Maybe it makes her feel close to her mum. Kids do copy us, for better or worse, little sponges.

You’d be best placed to guess which it is. Either way I would put my own desire to make her stop it behind ensuring she is getting enough positive attention and is allowed to express herself freely in socially appropriate ways. Small children are wild in the mind, but ‘housekeeping!’ isn’t rude or hurting anyone (nor is it hurting her). Obviously if she was greeting strangers with ‘ello you shower of absolute cunts’ you’d need to have a think but - she’s not. Your job as a parent could actually be harder if she internalises early your anxiety about everyone judging her for little foibles. If this is the worst of it, you’ve got a cute story! Why waste these precious days with vicarious embarrassment? You might miss her little person zest for chaos one day, when she’s all big and serious and worried about exams.

I also agree this little gag is at the benign end of 4 y.o behaviour and while it’s not exactly a rib-splitter from an adult, cute from a small child. Heard much much much much worse from 4 y.os (I used to live across the road from a school) 😵‍💫