Amidst the moldy sippy cups, unidentifiable splotches on the carpet, between the tantrums and the moonlit cuddles, there can be balance. If we are able to breathe deeply and remember, in those excruciating moments that we have to scoop our almost-four year olds up and flee from the store as they threaten to say even more loudly in the direction of the acne-faced 20-something bagging our groceries, “But why does that guy have those red spots all over his face?”

We will realize that before long we’ll be standing, ironing a shirt or doing some equally mundane task, and the silence will be broken by the flatulence of a two year old. As we turn to admonish gently with a, “Say excuse me,” we’ll instead hear, “Whoopsie, my poop just burped!”

This parent of toddlers PSA brought to you by the letter Y.