Naughty Baby

What is it about the youngest?

That’s what I’m asking myself this week as I reflect on Boy #3’s recent behavior (AND my reaction to it).

It appears that he’s either going through a bit of a “naughty phase” or has become possessed by the ghost of Darth Maul.

Need some concrete examples? No problem. I have puh-lenty.

Let’s see… In the past two weeks, he’s:

  • spit his food at another boy in the lunchroom
  • written on the hardwood floor in the kitchen with a black permanent marker
  • scratched Husband’s car with some elusive sharp object, including writing “PH” on the front quarter panel. And no, those aren’t his initials. And no, I have no idea what “PH” stands for. Apparently neither does he. (Maybe he’s going to be a chemist when he grows up? Or maybe just a pool cleaner…)
  • lost his shoes at his cousin’s house
  • cut his shoelaces at school during a math lesson
  • decorated our sidelight window with a red permanent marker
  • brought home a toy gun from school that he apparently traded with another kid for Pokemon cards. (I have no idea why the other kid brought a toy gun to school. I’m just thankful that no teachers witnessed this exchange. Expulsion is not on our agenda for kindergarten!)
  • lost his brand-new shirt while playing outside with his brother
  • took the headband out of my hair and while examining it, accidentally snapped it in half

What is it about him, though, that makes it impossible for me to get really mad at him? One minute I’m lecturing him about how Sharpies are OFF LIMITS and spray paint is NOT A TOY, and the next minute I’m showering him with smooches.

Is it this way with the baby in all families? Or am I just a complete pushover?

Thinking back to when I was growing up, my youngest sister did seem to hold some spell on everyone she met, including my parents. Whether she was hiding under the bathroom sink after covering her body in lipstick, breaking the porcelain lid to the back of the toilet because she wanted to see what was in the tank, or holding a cat hostage while brushing its teeth, it was always considered “cute.” No one could get mad at her. Well, except her older sisters. But maybe that’s because she also did things like conduct a “study” to see how we reacted to various annoying sounds while trapped in a car with her on vacation…

Come to think of it, most everything she did actually was pretty cute, in a mischievous kind of way. And today she’s one of the kindest and most creative people I know. This gives me hope for Boy #3.

Is anyone else’s youngest child extra naughty? Or am I just so old and worn out now that I’ve inadvertently created a monster???

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