The Parent Project: Months 15, 4

As I walked past the local school, the delivery guy asked me: “Is it that way, love?”
It was, I said.
I was not accompanied by my children at the time, but I felt like a stressed mother who knew how she got to school. When I got home, I noticed that my jumper was covered in baby sickness. I knew I would have been able to recognize this.
I know so much more than I did fifteen months ago. I can now measure 80ml water by eye and pour it in the sterilizer. I now know that teething can cause reddening of the cheeks, but not carbon monoxide poisoning. I also know that toddlers should be able to test their boundaries in a safe environment at home. The whole testing boundaries phase seems much longer than the toddling stage. There is already a lot of testing happening at our house.
Things Jack knows he shouldn’t do but does anyway
Take out books from the antique bookcase, which has been moved to the office.
You can climb the stairs by yourself (stairgate purchased, but still not installed – remember the lounge door is locked!
Bang on glass, especially for the TV cabinet with glass front (footstool is now in front making it more difficult reach)
Place food on the ground, and sign “Where’s it Gone?”
Pull hair (he looks as if it is growing out from this one, thankfully).

Kathy Schwalbe, Dan Furlong, and Healthcare Project Management:
Every decent project manager should be reminded at least once a year that they have exceeded their authority or they will not be as productive as they should. Why? Because you won’t know your boundaries if you don’t test them.
Jack’s project sponsor is now me. I help him understand boundaries of behavior. Oliver can’t do much more than giggle under his arms. But I can help them both when they need it. This will give new meanings to the term “the test stage”.