Brain Damage

Bill Cosby has an explanation for why kids don't listen and will, in fact, do just what you tell them not to right after you say not to.  Brain damage.  Ok, so it's really about what are developmentally appropriate behaviors and testing boundaries and cognitive development lagging behind the physical and any number of more accurate excuses.  But let's face it, there are times in life with small children when one must laugh.  Sometimes because otherwise you're liable to cry.

Take for example the child who has been repeatedly told, reminded time and again, not to hang on the towel bar.  It just isn't up to your great strength, he is told.  You're too big.  It's too old (and I'm not sure how well it is affixed to the wall.)  It just is not strong enough for the likes of you there, wonder-boy.  On and on, every time said child is in the bathroom. 

Until the morning you are standing in the doorway as this brain damaged child finishes on the potty.
No sooner than the usual gentle reminders are dancing on your lips does that child stand his naked self up on the foot stool and launch himself at that tempting towel bar.  And drag it to the floor.

I suppose there are occasional benefits to renting. 

And for days afterward he will ask, every time he is in the bathroom, what happened to that.  In his most innocent and curious voice, of course, with those big blue eyes wide with wonder.  I'm sure he is figuring out the relation of actions and consequences and the laws of physics.  But brain damage isn't that far out of my mind.