Taking care of toddlers is no easy feat, and when this mom found a way to make it a bit easier, she stuck to it: saying a silly phrase!

Sounds like a great idea, but the problem is that her husband disapproves of her methods.

Could she really be in the wrong?

Let’s read the story.

AITA for continuing to use a phrase when addressing my kids despite my husband not liking it?

I (38 year old female) have 4 young kids with my husband (40 year old male).

They are 5 years old, 4-year-old twins and a 1-year-old.

Our kids are well-behaved in general. Anyone with young kids can confirm sometimes they have tantrums or get upset. Sometimes it’s over big things and sometimes it’s over something silly.

For example, our 5-year-old was upset this morning because his shoes weren’t blue.

They’ve never been blue, they’ve always been green.

Today I guess he just felt like having blue shoes.

A phrase I use when calming my kids down over smaller issues is “What’s the story, macaroni?”

She explains why it would be difficult to stop saying this funny sentence.

They love it when I say this, even when they are fussy or upset.

I’m not sure why, but maybe it’s just as simple as they think I see them as macaroni.

Maybe it’s the silliness of it.

I can’t remember where I heard it.

It’s effective, and helps them work through their emotions so we can work on communicating why we’re upset and what can be done to fix it.

For those wondering, in my 5-year-old’s case, the solution was letting him put stickers on his shoes.

All is well again!

Sounds like a great solution! Almost a life hack.

But her husband doesn’t approve.

My husband hates it when I say it.

He has asked me several times not to say it because to him it sounds too childish.

His approach is more strict and he doesn’t take the more kid friendly approach.

He would tell our 5-year-old that his shoes won’t turn blue just because he is upset and he shouldn’t throw a fit over something he can’t change.

(This would have upset our son further, not made him stop fussing)

I feel like sometimes kids have very big and valid feelings but might not know how to express them in a constructive way.

I prefer to take the silly approach for these smaller issues.

My kids respond positively to it and it works.

I don’t use it for every situation but on smaller issues I feel it is fine.

She knows what works.

I have tried not to say it around my husband as he doesn’t like it, but the kids love it.

The oldest will sometimes even ask me to say it even if he’s not upset so I can’t always avoid it even when he is there.

I might be in the wrong because it’s clear my husband really doesn’t like this phrase.

AITA?

Having lighthearted fun with your kids shouldn’t be treated as a crime.

Let’s see what people are saying about this.

A reader shares their thoughts.

My thoughts exactly.

This commenter shares silly things their dad used to say.

Someone gives a suggestion.

Another reader chimes in.

This person suggests a question to ask her husband.

He can frown upon it all he wants…

If it works, it works!

If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.