Tina Fey once thought her little daughter 'might be a sociopath'—the hilarious reason resonates with parents
Parenting toddlers requires an energy and mindset like no other. Parents have to be prepared for the most bizarre yet hysterical experiences with toddlers at the oddest hours. All it takes is a phrase, a word or even an action for them to catch parents off guard. Actor and comedian Tina Fey has gone through this toddler phase for her daughters, Alice and Penelope, per TODAY. However, with each daughter, the experiences were different and surprising. When her youngest daughter, Penelope, was 2 years old, the mom almost convinced herself that her daughter might be a "sociopath." However, the bewildering reason behind her thoughts has parents chuckling in relatably.
Fey appeared on the “Late Show with David Letterman” in 2013 and revealed that thinking parenting would be similar and predictable the second time was a humorous mistake. "I'm stupid! I thought, 'Well, they're both girls. Why are they so different?'" she remarked. The actor confidently revealed that Penelope and Alice were “two different people.” Coming to the cause of concern about her then 2-year-old, the mom honestly noted, “The little one is such a … she might be a sociopath.” Recalling the numerous baffling instances she came across, her youngest was a one-of-a-kind experience for Fey.
She spilled the beans on her daughter’s behavior, which often left her concerned. The mom mentioned that Penelope would engage in bad behavior and express her remorse in a rather unexpected manner when she was little. Sharing an instance, Fey mentioned how she might reach for a hot burner or trouble the dog, only to quickly express a flat “Oh, sorry.” However, what she had called her daughter a possible “sociopath” was the one time Penelope was completely dissatisfied and agitated with her bath. "I was giving her a bath one night and she was overtired — in her defense — and I said, 'Okay, bath time is over,'" the mom recalled.
However, somehow, the little one wasn’t too pleased about getting done. "She got really mad that I took her out of the bath. She looked me square in the eyes and with two tiny little hands, choked me,” Fey remarked. The mom, being her humorous self, undoubtedly took it lightly and knew it was just the witty personality of her daughter. “It’s so funny because they’re not strong enough to kill you. Not yet. Try again in a couple of years, Penelope!" she exclaimed. A few years later, at the “Late Night with Seth Meyers” show, the mom revealed that Penelope had grown out of the toddler phase, but even at 6 years old, she had her quirky personality.
Sharing about her movie “Mean Girls” at the time, the mom noted how her little girl had the “wrong takeaway” from the film. “She was going back to her preschool like, ‘Let's play Mean Girls. I'm Regina. I yell at you,’” Fey remarked. The mom only hoped that her daughter would also take the positive message attached throughout the film too. Many parents could relate to the shenanigans kids can pull. @KSK1244 said, “Speaking of wrong messages: My daughter was teased, so I said she should pray for them. She clasped her tiny hands together and said, ‘Jesus, please zap those boys off the earth. Amen.’” @jmg999 added, “There is nothing better than listening to Tina Fey talk about her daughters.”