TOD 03.06.08

Since Ethan is only 21 months old, a significant portion of our house is structured around making it difficult for him to hurt himself. One example is the bathroom door, which stays open during the night in case Spencer needs to go, but which stays closed during the day so that Ethan doesn’t go swimming in the tiny pool or worse, although worse is hard to imagine.

This morning, when I took him out of his crib and put him on the floor, he immediately looked at the open door and said, “Uh-oh.” As he started to walk toward it, my first impulse was to shut it and keep him out, but I paused, wanting to see what might happen. He waddled up to it, grabbed the handle, and then very deliberately walked backwards until the door was closed. Then he looked at me and smiled. After praising him, I pondered what an amazing thing had just happened.

Without any need for an explanation, Ethan had simply internalized the notion that daddy wants that door closed. And, even though he certainly understands that it is closed to keep him out, he still eagerly wanted to help enforce my will. Now, what was it you wanted me to do again, Lord?