Putting the kids to bed
Two tips.
- When exploring the novelty of bathing your children in the master bathroom tub -- a novelty because it is a jacuzzi-style tub with jets -- be sure to check the cleanliness of said jets before turning them on. After I had recently finished soaping the boys we thought it was time to churn the water a bit so ... rumble rumble ... up powered the jets. And out spewed chunks of mildew fragments, breaking the surface of the water like so many moldy sub-launched ICBM's and leaving the boys looking like they'd just had a brussel sprouts fight.
- Check the fishtank in the child's bedroom for dead/dying marine life before letting him approach for the nighly feeding. You never know when the mundane task of apathetically flushing another dead fishie down the toilet will become a moment of sobbing emotional catharsis. Enough Nemo- or Bambi-viewings and sooner or later the kid will understand that a dead pet is not coming back. My oldest son dropped to his knees, sopping, bawling, and covered in mildew spew, folded his hands heavenward and immediately began telling his recently-deceased great-grandfather how to take care of Fred the fish. (Who knew the kid had even named it?)
Thank me later.
Posted on January 13, 2006 to the category called The Darnedest Things .
