Noah has hit the Continual Repeat Stage (also known as CRS.)
CRS is a dangerous stage in a mother’s life, as it can be a detriment to the continuation of her sanity if not responded to in a calculated manner.
CRS is most obviously exhibited by a request repeated continuously, with no break for response, until the Mother does exactly what the toddler wants.
CRS-A is characterized by the request being made in continuously ramping up decibel levels. Fortunately, CRS-A is treatable by discipline and training.
But much more severe is CRS-B.
CRS-B is evident in a child when the repetitive statements are made in a completely unchanging monotone that is loud enough to be unignorable, but quiet enough to chip away at deep, subconscious levels of sanity.
It goes something like this:
play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy play cars mommy
CRS-B can be brought on by two-year-oldness, other illness, or in the most severe cases (and where I find myself,) two-year-oldness AND other illness.
There is only one way to shield yourself from the significant health risks of CRS-B: full and unconditional accommodation.
It doesn’t matter what the request is. Nuclear Launch Codes. Two Purple Lamborghinis. A Yeti. You must find a way to fulfill the request as soon as possible, or risk serious traumatization of your innermost place.
However, it must be noted: after you do surrender and provide whatever is being requested, the CRS-B might mutate.
bomb russia mommy bomb russia mommy bomb russia mommy bomb russia mommy bomb russia mommy bomb russia mommy bomb russia mommy bomb russia mommy bomb russia mommy bomb russia mommy bomb russia mommy bomb russia mommy bomb russia mommy bomb russia mommy bomb russia mommy bomb russia mommy bomb russia mommy bomb russia mommy bomb russia mommy bomb russia mommy
If this mutation occurs, then by all means, use those launch codes and bomb Russia.
So when Noah’s croup virus mutated into severe CRS-B in the form of a simple request to wear his Father’s Dirty Boxers that he exhumed from the laundry basket, it was a no-brainer.
wear this too mommy wear this too mommy wear this too mommy wear this too mommy wear this too mommy wear this too mommy wear this too mommy wear this too mommy wear this too mommy wear this too mommy wear this too mommy wear this too mommy wear this too mommy wear this too mommy wear this too mommy wear this too mommy wear this too mommy wear this too mommy wear this too mommy wear this too mommy wear this too mommy wear this too mommy
Perhaps this image isn’t as sweet and Pinterestable as the Little-Girl-In-Her-Mommy’s-Wedding-Dress photo, but I can already visualize your bylines in my head…
Some days you just have to do whatever you have to do. I sooo understand.
Liam is almost 20 months so we are in the beginning stages, so far all I hear is “mommy,mommy,mommy,mommy,mommy,mommy,mommy,mommy,” in the happy “please pay attention to me” tone everyday when we get home. But he is also obsessed with shoes so I am beginning to hear “put shoes on, put shoes on, put shoes on, put shoes on, put shoes on.” Doesn’t matter who’s they are he wants them on. I can’t wait until I can get the picture of him walking around in his sister princess dress up shoes. Now that will be one for the wedding book.
I have several of those photos. And the princess crowns…it’s priceless.
I am so relieved to hear my daughter isn’t the only one who suffers from this terrible condition.
The embarrassment will come when you add the fact that they were his father DIRTY boxers to the caption. Ewwwww! lol
What….uh….those boxers are…..um….never mind.
Angry Birds. You betcha.
Lol, S suffers from this condition as well! We have it mostly under control, but it still pops out to chip away at my sanity every now and then. :P
HA! boys boys boys. what little sillies. Samuel is along the same lines these days though he can’t talk as well so it’s more like Scream, yell, scream, yell. yeeeeeeah.
Yeah, words actually do help. In SOME ways.
Oh girl – you sure make me laugh. LOVE the Pinterest byline. I literally laughed out loud. Thanks for writing!
Aw, thanks! You made me smile.
Oh no. My daughter was just diagnosed with the croup virus. I fear the inevitable mutation. Pray for a cure!
Your only hope is to give in. Or get a gag.
I hope she’s feeling better!
My almost 5 year old does this. Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy until I answer. He thinks it’s hilarious. Does it ever stop?
Kind of. My six year old still expects me to respond to her every statement, but she gives me a little time to get a response in before repeating.
oh my gosh. I love this. hahahaha
At least Noah tells you what he wants. My kid just says “Helllp? Helllp? Helllp?” over and over again. And again. And again. For everything.
As their vocabulary widens, their abilities to enhance their CRS also widens.
It sucks so bad b/c at first you think you can head it off at the pass with some stock answer of “Yes, you can take that with you” but it just doesn’t end there! I still hear “I take this to park?” fifty million times even after agreeing for the first fifty million. And I’ve been told that rationalizing doesn’t work but I cannot stop myself from trying to explain to my daughter that she doesn’t need to repeat everything.
Oooooh – that’s CRS-C. When your response or your reaction doesn’t even solve the problem.
I hate to tell you this, but…
it’s fatal.
Oh how I feel your pain with the repeating requests! It’s been “Dit down flurr mommy! Dit down flurr!” which is his way of asking me to play in the floor with him :) So of course, I oblige…all while holding a baby on one shoulder!
YES – the pitiful “Plaaaaaay Mommy” requests are impossible to ignore – no matter what else needs immediate attention.