Mommy Says Sit Down

Nicholas is rapidly getting more intelligent, more independent, more rambunctious, and developing myriad new skills.

This is a potent cocktail when it comes to bathtime.

In the past few weeks he's figured out how much fun it is make big splashes, how to wash himself with a washcloth, and how to stand himself up in the tub. The first one is messy but tolerable. The second is an important developmental step (at some point I'll have to let him use the soap rather than waiting for me to do it). The third, however, is a safety issue and a listening problem; he's not exactly steady on his feet yet, so it's not a very good idea, but Nicholas has also taken delight in ignoring my asking, then telling him that he has to sit down. His last bath a few days ago was a disaster. I was upset enough afterwards that Sarah had to take over getting him into his pajamas. So the situation was not sustainable.

Enter Mommy.

Tonight before his bath, Sarah very quietly had a talk with him. She told him that he's not allowed to stand up in the bathtub, and that he has to listen to Daddy. For some reason, this did the trick. When he got into the tub, he said, "No stand up. Mommy says sit down." Then—in true Nicholas fashion—he repeated it every minute or so for the duration of the bath. It made for a lot more fun in the bath.

But I still got splashed a lot. Oh well. You win some, you lose some.