I've just come to realize how pervasive this phenomenon is. Take any two kids, each with their own particular bad habits. Mix them together then separate after 1 hour. Each will walk away with a complete set of their combined bad habits, give or take a couple lesser ones. Take this real life example of my own Bear and his close friend (who we'll call "Bear's Friend") as recorded on our Nanny-Cam:

The Scene: Bear and Bear's Friend are sitting and playing relatively peacefully with Bear's new Ultra Incredibly Cool Nintendo Brand Game Cube while Lovely Wife folds laundry. Lovely Wife gathers the folded laundry and walks off camera (stage left).

Bear's Friend: (looks around the room) She gone?

Bear: (also looks around the room) Yeah.

BF: Cool! What new ones do you got?

B: I was over with Bear's Other Friend yesterday and I got BREAKING EXPENSIVE STUFF. I only had to give him SNEEZING ON DADDY'S PLATE. You got anything that good?

BF: Almost. Last week Bear's Friend's Sister was playing on the floor and then just SPEWED WITH NO WARNING AT ALL. It was awesome. She traded me for TAKING OFF PULLUPS AND PEEING IN THE BED.

B: Hmmm. That's good but you need to do a bit better. Tell you what. You throw in SPEWING WITH NO WARNING AT ALL and that INCESSANT RATTING ON SIBLING that you got last week and I'll trade you the BREAKING EXPENSIVE STUFF.

BF: Deal

B: Cool

(Bear and Bear's Friend shake hands. Bear's Friend picks up the controller for the Ultra Incredibly Cool Nintendo Brand Game Cube and smashes in the top of the Ultra Incredibly Cool Nintendo Brand Game Cube. Lovely Wife rushes into the room (from stage left) to see what the noise was. Bear's Friend looks up at Lovely Wife with a face of cherubic peace. Lovely Wife's face splits down the middle in the first physical manifestation of a conniption.)

Lovely Wife: (furious, loud voice) What in the world are you doing?

BF: (confused, sotto voice) Sorry.

LW: Gaaaaaah!

B: Blaughlupslup

(Bear throws up on the No Longer Quite So Ultra Incredibly Cool Nintendo Brand Game Cube.)

LW: Gaaaaaaah!

The tape cut off here as a random laser beam from Lovely Wife's eyes aparently impacted the video camera.

In any case, although this is anecdotal evidence, it certainly points to a much greater pattern of behavior and perhaps even a juvenile conspiracy. Parents beware.

Posted by: Jim at 12:40 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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