March Madness is Every Month for Parents

I love March Madness because it’s the one time of year when parents can feel normal. Crazy things happen all the time during the NCAA Basketball Tournament, like when Cinderella teams defeat the heavy favorites.

So when your two-year-old daughter does things like pull her pants halfway down her little butt and run up and down the hall giggling and yelling: “Say no to crack, Mommy! Say no to crack!” it’s all good. Because, hey, it’s March Madness.

And this year, my daughter Belle is ready to cheerlead. For example, she recently chanted: “Here we go pot-ty, here we go!” to encourage her mommy.

“Great teamwork, Belle!” I said. “Way to practice like you’ll play!”

Stop the Madness
Sometimes March Madness goes too far, though. Like when your team suddenly starts thinking: Why pass it to our 7-foot teammate for a dunk when we could chuck up three-point shots from half court?

Belle uses the same logic. Like: Why bother to use the sink when you can just “rinse” your toothbrush in the toilet?

Or: Why bother with food when you can eat books? The other day I asked Belle why there was a rip in the corner of a page in the same shape Cookie Monster would leave on a cookie.

“I turn the pages myself!” she said.

Last weekend, we were in the grocery store, and Belle saw a nice fellow with dreadlocks walk by who looked kinda like that singer from Counting Crows.

She decided: Why ask the man his name when I can just vociferously ask Daddy, “What’s HER name?” The man smiled as he reached for the frozen broccoli. Then Belle whispered in my ear: “Her name (is) Sheepy!”

At least Belle is spreading March Madness by providing quality “senior leadership” to her baby brother. “Hey Belle,” I said, “Your brother’s crazy. I think he’s learning from you.”

“Good,” she said.

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