I hope there isn't an episode on gardening

The other day Christian and I had the following conversation:

Chris: Mommy, you're a tool.

Me: What? That's not nice Christian, you don't say that to people.

Me/Ren (in unison): Where did you hear that?

Chris: On Handy Manny

Me: Oooooh. OK. Well, the little friends he has such as the hammer, the drill, the screwdriver...those are tools. People are not tools OK?, so don't say that anymore cause it's not nice.

Chris: Ok mommy.

I'm just glad he didn't call me a Hoe, that would've been a whole 'nother conversation.

Then.....This morning his teacher pulled me aside to let me know that Christian has been saying bad words and calling children names. My first thought was...oh my god he called her a hoe. I was relieved to hear that that wasn't the case, but the teacher did say that a parent had complained because their daughter said that he had called her a loser. I feel bad because I'm always telling him not to be mean. Then again, as much as we try to teach them, kids pick things up and love to repeat them. I'm guessing he either got this from daycare (where the kids are all ages) or from TV. The teacher made it a point to let me know that she called him out on it and made him apologize and that I should follow up at home by telling him not to say those things.

With all the talk of bullying on the news, I'm glad that his teacher is the way she is. However small the insult may have seemed to me at the time (vs some of the other words I imagined), it's good that they're nipping it in the bud. God knows I could've benefited from this no bullying tolerated stance in my time.