Daughter: What embarrassed mean?
Me: Uhm…
.
My daughter has learned how to ask what words mean. Usually, these questions are very simple to answer. She is only 2 1/2.
Tonight, I got the question about the word, “embarrassed.” I am not sure I could explain this concept to an adult, let alone a 2 1/2 year old. And, of course, I am trying to get her ready for bed, and, of course, she has to ask me repeatedly, “what embarrassed mean?”
Of course, I kept attempting to refine my answer each time, explaining it in a different way. I thought she wasn’t understanding my definition. After about the 5th time, I realized she was just attempting to learn by repitition.
I know this is just a sample of the damned-near-impossible-to-answer questions I have to look forward to… I just didn’t expect them at 2 1/2.
Where does a 2 1/2 year old come up with this? And she does this all the time. At least once a day, she nearly convinces us that she is a little old lady, and not a toddler.
As best as I could deduce, via intense interrogation, she heard the word from her teacher at daycare. I also learned that she “hit [the boy at daycare] on the head and got a time out and [she] didn’t want to be in timeout and [she] cried and [the boy] was calling [her] and he was saying “come here” and [she] couldn’t get out and [she] didn’t want to be in daycare and then [her teacher] told [her] to come out of timeout…” then I lost consciousness.
Anyhow.
I think the best definition I could come up with was, “It is when someone sees you doing something you didn’t want anyone to see, and it makes you feel silly.”
Can anyone think of a better way to explain it?
I can’t think of a better explanation; you could deflect by saying that embarazado is the Spanish word for pregnant and is a false cognate.
That should confuse her long enough for you to get out of the room.
[Kaz: You don't know my daughter... the first thing she'd fire back with is, "What that false cognate?"]