The Destructo Kid

At the end of every weekend, after spending two full days with the kids, Abby and I both think the same thing: it's good that the kids are heading to daycare tomorrow. I love the kids and all, and they're a lot of fun to have around, but good grief, they're a lot of work. I think that we both end the weekend with a renewed appreciation for the dedication of stay-at-home parents.

Lately, this sentiment has become even more pronouced due to the behavior of the boy. As I've noted before, Teddy has always been a troublemaker (or as Margaret calls him a "troublemarker.") But lately, it's gotten even more extreme. He is constantly, and I mean constantly, getting into trouble.

• Heading up the stairs. Repeatedly. He'll get about three stairs up and will sit down, grinning at us, but apparently oblivious to the predicament into which he's gotten himself.


• Getting into the dog's food container. Repeatedly. If we're not quick, he'll sample some of the dog's food. Even if we get him away from the container, he'll head right back there.


• Standing on the chairs for the kids' table. Repeatedly. He pulls himself up, stands up on the chair, and grins, again oblivous to his precarious position and the fact that it's unclear how he'll get down.

Basically, we spend all of our time chasing him around trying to keep him out of trouble. One the one hand, he does have a charming grin that he flashes at us when he's getting into trouble. But on the other hand, it's a royal pain in the arse. In contrast, when Margaret was the same age, I don't recall needing to secure the stairs by closing the child gates. With the boy, it's absolutely necessary. It's just a matter of time before he takes a header down the stairs when one of us forgets to close a gate. Even then, I'm not sure that he'll learn. Because what's really amazing is his determination. Pull him away from something or get him out of a dangerous position, and he'll head right back to the same thing.

Abby thinks that he knows when he's doing something wrong. Such as getting into the dog's food, because we always yelp at him. I'm not so sure. I think that he's either not too bright or he's a real risk-taker. People that I've discussed this with have either appealed to sexism ("he's just being a boy!") or ageism ("he's only one!"). Both are true and may have some relevance for this behavior, but when I sit there on the couch trying to read the paper, I just have to shake my head as I watch him pull a basket of books down on his head. Once upon a time, not that long ago in fact, I was able to read the Sunday paper in peace...