Please Don’t
Play
in the Toilet
What is the matter with baby boys?
Don’t they like to play with toys?
Why would they rather spend time in the loo?
Washing their hands in the watery blue
What is the matter with two-year old boys?
Apart from the time they spend flushing their toys
Why do they dress up in spider man clothes?
Rescuing teddies while picking their nose
What is the matter with boys who are three?
Toilets are places for doing a wee
But they all insist on the sunny outdoors
And run to the lemon tree dropping their drawers
What is the matter with boys who are four?
Leaving their toys and their clothes on the floor
Spitting and shooting with guns made of sticks
Scaring the dog with their spider man tricks
What is the matter with five-year old boys?
Driving their mums up the wall with their noise
Blatantly breaking all of the rules
God bless the nannies, teachers and schools
“Being at home can be fun, insulating, relaxed, boring or isolating ... depending on how the day is going.”*
School holidays are almost over in my part of the world – six long weeks of noise and squabbling balanced by hot, lazy days at the beach or the pool with lots of daring exploits and laughter. Many of our days were spent at home, basking in simple pleasures like baking, playing games or outdoor pursuits – trying to relax the everyday routines of school-morning bustle and ‘having to be somewhere on time’. However pleasant, I must admit to being relieved that life gets back to normal next week, and I can reclaim some of my own time for writing again!
* From Being Mummy by Anne‑marie Taplin published April 2007