--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My son, Sam, at three and a half, had…" description: "\"“My son, Sam, at three and a half, had these keys to a set of plastic handcuffs, and one morning he intentionally locked himself out of the house. I wa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca3/anne-lamott-188_front-door_my-son-sam-at-three-and-a-half-had-these_1978675.png" --- # My son, Sam, at three and a half, had these keys to a set… ![“My son, Sam, at three and a half, had these keys to a set of plastic handcuffs, and one morning he intentionally locked himself out of the house. I was sitting on the couch reading the newspaper when I heard him stick his plastic keys into the doorknob and try to open the door. Then I heard him…” quote by Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca3/anne-lamott-188_front-door_my-son-sam-at-three-and-a-half-had-these_1978675.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca3/anne-lamott-188_front-door_my-son-sam-at-three-and-a-half-had-these_1978675.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca3/anne-lamott-188_front-door_my-son-sam-at-three-and-a-half-had-these_1978675.png) > ““My son, Sam, at three and a half, had these keys to a set of plastic handcuffs, and one morning he intentionally locked himself out of the house. I was sitting on the couch reading the newspaper when I heard him stick his plastic keys into the doorknob and try to open the door. Then I heard him say, "Oh, shit." My whole face widened, like the guy in Edvard Munch's Scream . After a moment I got up and opened the front door. "Honey," I said, "what'd you just say?" "I said, 'Oh, shit,'" he said. "But, honey, that's a naughty word. Both of us have absolutely got to stop using it. Okay?" He hung his head for a moment, nodded, and said, "Okay, Mom." Then he leaned forward and said confidentially, "But I'll tell you why I said 'shit.'" I said Okay, and he said, "Because of the fucking keys!”” [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A child’s accidental profanity reveals how language, embarrassment, and parental guidance intersect. **In simple terms:** Kids learn about words and consequences. Key Takeaway Teach mindful language. Themes family communication language Mood empathetic lighthearted Type advice humorous When to use this quote - home - parent‑child conversations - teaching moments Key Concepts social learning parenting emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - How do you address accidental swearing? - What alternatives teach respect? A Different Perspective Children may mimic profanity despite guidance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [There's no more delicious irony on the face of the Earth than environmental protesters being led away in plastic handcuffs that have a biodegradability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-miller/there-s-no-more-delicious-irony-on-the-face-of-the-earth-than/) [Dennis Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-miller/) > [Just grab the fucking keys and cruise up the block… if the bitch acts shot; gettin shot on the spot!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biggie-smalls/just-grab-the-fucking-keys-and-cruise-up-the-block-if-the-bitch-acts/) [Biggie Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biggie-smalls/) > [“My subconscious is furious, medusa-like in her anger, hair flying, her hands clenched around her face like Edvard Munch's Scream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-james/my-subconscious-is-furious-medusa-like-in-her-anger-hair-flying-her/) [E.L. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-james/) > [My influences were from Europe from between 1900 and 1945. My favorite artists were Egon Schiele or Edvard Munch. I wasn't interested in contemporary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-emin/my-influences-were-from-europe-from-between-1900-and-1945-my-favorite/) [Tracey Emin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-emin/) > [“On the morning of our second day, we were strolling down the Champs-Elysées when a bird shit on his head. ‘Did you know a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/on-the-morning-of-our-second-day-we-were-strolling-down-the-champs/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [To write a novel is to embark on a quest that is very romantic. People have visions, and the next step is to execute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/to-write-a-novel-is-to-embark-on-a-quest-that-is-very-romantic-people/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [“Soon after my husband and I started living together, he learned to make noise before coming into my writing space. He learned to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-golub/soon-after-my-husband-and-i-started-living-together-he-learned-to/) Marcia Golub > [“Panic gripped her normally street-wise face like Edvard Munch’s scream painting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-robertson/panic-gripped-her-normally-street-wise-face-like-edvard-munch-s/) Jo Robertson > [My work is based on a tradition quite distinct from the Eckersberg tradition, a Nordic line of development that had never been clearly and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asger-jorn/my-work-is-based-on-a-tradition-quite-distinct-from-the-eckersberg/) [Asger Jorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asger-jorn/) > [“Finally, some of the genes identified in certain variants of schizophrenia or bipolar disease actually augment certain abilities. If the most pathological variant of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/finally-some-of-the-genes-identified-in-certain-variants-of/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [“Dark Jar Tin Zoo’s face is sallow, his cheeks sunk in, and he looks like Edvard Munch’s “The Scream,” only less colorful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/dark-jar-tin-zoo-s-face-is-sallow-his-cheeks-sunk-in-and-he-looks/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Untreated, a dead person’s face looks horrific, at least by our very narrow cultural expectations. Their droopy, open eyes cloud over in a vacant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-doughty/untreated-a-dead-person-s-face-looks-horrific-at-least-by-our-very/) [Caitlin Doughty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-doughty/) > [If people wouldn't have said the shit they said, my body wouldn't be like this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patience/if-people-wouldn-t-have-said-the-shit-they-said-my-body-wouldn-t-be/) Patience > [“I have three things I'd like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-campolo/i-have-three-things-i-d-like-to-say-today-first-while-you-were/) [Tony Campolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-campolo/) > [“You're... pretty sick, huh?" I said. "There's the no-shit statement of the day." - Lucky”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-m-goeglein/you-re-pretty-sick-huh-i-said-there-s-the-no-shit-statement-of-the/) [T.M. Goeglein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-m-goeglein/) ## More by Anne Lamott > [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [It's funny where we look for salvation, and where we actually find it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/it-s-funny-where-we-look-for-salvation-and-where-we-actually-find-it/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Why couldn't Jesus command us to obsess over everything, to try to control and manipulate people, to try not to breathe at all, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/why-couldn-t-jesus-command-us-to-obsess-over-everything-to-try-to/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Publication is not all that it is cracked up to be. But writing is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/publication-is-not-all-that-it-is-cracked-up-to-be-but-writing-is/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Your problem is how you are going to spend this one odd and precious life you have been issued. Whether you're going to spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/your-problem-is-how-you-are-going-to-spend-this-one-odd-and-precious/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [And yet, I do believe there is ultimately meaning in the chaos, and also in the doldrums. What I resist is not the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/and-yet-i-do-believe-there-is-ultimately-meaning-in-the-chaos-and/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Raising a child, whether or not it is yours, is like Nautilus of the heart and soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/raising-a-child-whether-or-not-it-is-yours-is-like-nautilus-of-the/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“I heard a preacher say recently that hope is a revolutionary patience; let me add that so is being a writer. Hope begins in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-heard-a-preacher-say-recently-that-hope-is-a-revolutionary-patience/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won't have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-think-perfectionism-is-based-on-the-obsessive-belief-that-if-you/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [All criticism hurts me. I'm so in the wrong business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/all-criticism-hurts-me-i-m-so-in-the-wrong-business/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [We are going to die, as is everyone we adore - I hate this! But the question is, how do we live as women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/we-are-going-to-die-as-is-everyone-we-adore-i-hate-this-but-the/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“You will go through your life thinking there was a day in second grade that you must have missed, when the grown-ups came in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/you-will-go-through-your-life-thinking-there-was-a-day-in-second/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“You begin to string words together like beads to tell a story. You are desperate to communicate, to edify or entertain, to preserve moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/you-begin-to-string-words-together-like-beads-to-tell-a-story-you-are/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“You lose the known package of your nice organized self almost instantly here. Overeating is one way back, the way it is at funerals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/you-lose-the-known-package-of-your-nice-organized-self-almost/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) [Explore all 976 Anne Lamott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) ## More Front door quotes > [Oh to that corkscrew, the useful tool to unlock the treasure of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/oh-to-that-corkscrew-the-useful-tool-to-unlock-the-treasure-of-wit/) [Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Ethan! What on earth are you doing?" "Excuse us,please.It is very warm in here and my wife has begun to feel a little faint."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-martin/ethan-what-on-earth-are-you-doing-excuse-us-please-it-is-very-warm-in/) [Kat Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-martin/) > [“A loud, purposeful knock on the front door froze him in place with his fist over the fabric. “Hey, dude, it’s me. I brought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-kincaid/a-loud-purposeful-knock-on-the-front-door-froze-him-in-place-with-his/) Kimberly Kincaid > [“The headache from this emotional roller coaster known as Marcus DeLuca seemed to get worse. Seriously, it was so bad I could actually hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-montes/the-headache-from-this-emotional-roller-coaster-known-as-marcus/) [E.L. Montes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-montes/) > [I don't think it's a very Christian thing to come in by the back door rather than the front door,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/i-don-t-think-it-s-a-very-christian-thing-to-come-in-by-the-back-door/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [“So you’re going to ask Ress and Brullo to just leave a back door open so you can sneak in?” “Don’t be so simpleminded.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/so-you-re-going-to-ask-ress-and-brullo-to-just-leave-a-back-door-open/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [“People had always amazed him, he began. But they amazed him more since the sickness. For as long as the two of them had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/people-had-always-amazed-him-he-began-but-they-amazed-him-more-since/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [“But the disastrous walk reminded me that I had reached an age where only careful planning and a steady eye would keep me safe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-darling/but-the-disastrous-walk-reminded-me-that-i-had-reached-an-age-where/) Lynn Darling > [“There was no doorman outside Harrison Kinuye's house, just a Phillite senior leaning into a huge stone urn. He extricated himself as I reached…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-jensen/there-was-no-doorman-outside-harrison-kinuye-s-house-just-a-phillite/) [Melissa Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-jensen/) > [“He strolled to the front door and stood watching, letting the picture of Felicity grave itself so deeply on his mind that when with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-goudge/he-strolled-to-the-front-door-and-stood-watching-letting-the-picture/) [Elizabeth Goudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-goudge/) > [“I lay there in the bath not thinking, not doing anything. After a few seconds, I heard her open the front door, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/i-lay-there-in-the-bath-not-thinking-not-doing-anything-after-a-few/) [Sally Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-rooney/) > [“There was no ground-floor — its ground-floor belonged to a house in the next court, and the front door opened direct upon a flight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/there-was-no-ground-floor-its-ground-floor-belonged-to-a-house-in-the/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [“Cavernous windows opened in a silent scream on the face of the Gothic house that tilted on the crest of Foster Hill. Its gables…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-jo-wright/cavernous-windows-opened-in-a-silent-scream-on-the-face-of-the-gothic/) [Jaime Jo Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-jo-wright/) > [“Alma is in a painting phase, and the people she paints are all the color of mold, look like they've just been dredged from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/alma-is-in-a-painting-phase-and-the-people-she-paints-are-all-the/) [Junot Díaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) Browse all 763 Front door quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“My son, Sam, at three and a half, had these keys to a set of plastic handcuffs, and one morning he intentionally locked himself out of the house. I was sitting on the couch reading the newspaper when I heard him stick his plastic keys into the doorknob and try to open the door. Then I heard him say, \"Oh, shit.\" My whole face widened, like the guy in Edvard Munch's Scream . After a moment I got up and opened the front door. \"Honey,\" I said, \"what'd you just say?\" \"I said, 'Oh, shit,'\" he said. \"But, honey, that's a naughty word. Both of us have absolutely got to stop using it. Okay?\" He hung his head for a moment, nodded, and said, \"Okay, Mom.\" Then he leaned forward and said confidentially, \"But I'll tell you why I said 'shit.'\" I said Okay, and he said, \"Because of the fucking keys!”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anne Lamott" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/my-son-sam-at-three-and-a-half-had-these-keys-to-a-set-of-plastic/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Front door" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/my-son-sam-at-three-and-a-half-had-these-keys-to-a-set-of-plastic/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca3/anne-lamott-188_front-door_my-son-sam-at-three-and-a-half-had-these_1978675.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca3/anne-lamott-188_front-door_my-son-sam-at-three-and-a-half-had-these_1978675.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca3/anne-lamott-188_front-door_my-son-sam-at-three-and-a-half-had-these_1978675.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My son, Sam, at three and a half, had these keys to a set of plastic handcuffs, and one morning he…” — Anne Lamott", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Anne Lamott", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“My son, Sam, at three and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/my-son-sam-at-three-and-a-half-had-these-keys-to-a-set-of-plastic/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/my-son-sam-at-three-and-a-half-had-these-keys-to-a-set-of-plastic/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```