The Blogfathers

A couple of weeeks ago my boy’s preschool teacher came up to me as I packed his kid-sized backpack with adult-sized homework.  Her eyes were as round as silver dollars, lips twitching as she mentally prepared to deliver her statement.  I braced myself for a report that would ruin my day, and force my brain to conjure a suitable punishment for whatever offense my Devil committed.  Instead she said this:  “Devin was biting his own hand today and he and he wouldn’t stop when I told him to stop.”  I looked at her like she was crazy.  Sensing that I was puzzled she ordered my boy to show us his hands.  I noted the faint bite marks of a pirana, and Devin smiled as he proudly took responsibility for his actions.  Better he bite himself than another kid. 

That night my wife and I talked about the incident and agreed that it was bizarre.  He had never done that before, we had no clue where he had gotten the idea to do it from, and we suspected it was just one of those days.  (He hasn’t done it since.)

Today, as I pored over an article about Don Imus apparently being a racist jerk, I heard my son talking to me.  Well, it was more like he was giving me a command.  His earnest words pulled me away from what I was doing.  “Stop biting your hand like that Daddy, you’re going to hurt yourself!  Stop it!”  He’s so dramatic.  I looked down and sure enough there were tiny indentations.  I had been so engrossed, and stressed by what I was reading that I had been unconsciously, um, pulling a Devin.  I guess I’ve done it before though I’ve never really thought about it.  I should probably get some stress balls. 

Mystery solved!  (I’m like a low-budget House.)

Television, Habits, Parenting Mysteries