Shut the door!

As Toddler 2 fast approaches her second birthday, she is really, really trying to communicate with us and to us in fascinating new ways. This weekend we noticed a new phrase she has picked up on to use when she’s wanting to express anger (which is oh-so-often these days…) Rather than just screaming “No!” or “Stop” or some other appropriately forceful command, she has started yelling, “Shut the door!” Here’s an example straight from a heated conversation:

Toddler 1: “I want that book.”
Toddler 2: “No.”
Toddler 1: “GIVE me that book.”
Toddler 2: “No.”
Toddler 1: “YES! GIVE ME IT!”
Toddler 2: “SHUT THE DOOR!!”

It cracks us up every time because she really thinks she is yelling something very sensible and very ugly. It’s like her own little version of foul language. Oh, that she would stay so innocent.

As I start this new week, I think I’m going to try and adopt this phrase as a substitute for my own outbursts of anger or frustration. Maybe if I hear myself say it aloud I’ll think to “shut the door!” on some of the negativity, some of the rage, some of the needless, energy-sapping frustration I tend to express before I’ve said too much. I know it’s not good to bottle anger, but maybe sometimes it wouldn’t hurt to “shut the door” on a few of the words that fly out of my mouth (and around in my mind).

I’m having a flashback to an old spiritual we used to sing in high school chorus… “Shut de do; keep out de devil; shut de do, keep de devil in de night…”

Here’s the Acappella version. I promise we sounded just like this 😉