Go Ask Dad's ABCs: M-N-O-P

Of course, you know your alphabet, but have you considered the letters from the perspective of words specific to your life as a parent? I continue to add to my list!

M is for magic, such as presents from the tooth fairy or Santa Claus. While often thought to be otherworldly, there’s magic right here, especially in the presence of children, who see a stick as a wand capable of making trees uproot and fly into the air. Abracadabra! River rocks become precious diamonds. Hocus-pocus! Where did the time go? Who turned this newborn into a tween overnight?

N is for no, every three-nager’s favorite word. While their niggling habit of nay-saying nearly everything you say might seem nightmarish, it’s quite normal. They are learning to differentiate from their caregivers, which, yes, is actually a healthy thing.

Speaking of health concerns, O is for orthopedic, as in the pediatric orthopedic urgent care clinic that is conveniently located in the very same shopping center as the trampoline park. You have to hand it to the business model of those healthcare entrepreneurs. All they need now are a couple of nearby pickleball courts, and they can expand their business to adults.

P is for poop, because everybody poops. (Not everybody plays pickleball, at least not yet.) Maybe you don’t like to talk about poop, especially at the dinner table, but your kid certainly does. There are other words that describe the same bodily function — some scientific, others vulgar. It happens. Poop is only natural, a product of a healthy digestive system, and a wonderful thing. Just not to smell wafting from the bathroom. But let’s be honest: that’s Dad’s fault.