Terrified Dad

Pick it up and drop it down, pick it up and drop it down, pick it up and drop it down….

This is my son’s favourite new game. The rules are simple and go something like this – I hand him an object, he takes it, looks interested in it, shakes it a few times and then holds it over the side of the pram or high chair and drops it to the ground.

This action is then repeated until he loses interest or I lose my patience. So, it normally goes like this – Pick it up. Drop it down. Pick it up. Drop it down. Pick it up. Drop it down. Pick it up, “Here, just hold it Noah, hold it, that’ s it, good, give it a shake, keep hold of it, don’t…don’t… don’t! Why you little…. Aargh!”

According to the books it’s all part of your child’s development and they don’t realise they are simply dropping the object into thin air. However, given that my son is actually the reincarnation of some evil genius I fully believe he knows exactly what he’s doing. It’s all about the power you see – who has it and who does not, and he very much has it!

There’s a look in his eye as he holds the object over the side of his high chair, toying with me as a cat would a mouse. Once, twice, three times he fakes the drop and is amused as each time I lurch forward snatching at thin air.

“Oh yes, Daddy,” I can almost hear him smirk. “Who’s the Daddy now?”