Who Is This Kid At Preschool, And What Did He Do With My Son?

Starting last January, the wild-child has been going to a two-day a week 'Mother's Day Out' program. While we got off to a rocky start (read about that here), he now LOVES it. He gets to play with new toys, do arts and crafts with paint, play with play-dough and most of all, interact with other children. I get to have three hours to catch my breath. You know, because my toddler is "spirited" and "full of energy". Everyone says it! I have a couple of friends who tell me how they think they would have lost their mind of my wild child was their child. Well, according to his preschool teachers, he is just the sweetest, kindest, brightest, well-mannered toddler. They ALL love him. As they should, but who is this child they are talking about?

Surely, not my wild-child!

Why is it that my toddler is the sight of perfection while at school, or at the neighbor's house, but when he is home, he is on a mission to break shit and give me a heart attack? And I know this is not just my kid pulling the Jekyll and Hyde routine! I hear other parents talk about how their child is crazy at home, but kind and polite when in the care of others.

What is THAT?

I suppose on one hand I should be proud that my son is such a good boy at preschool. I should pat myself on the back for somehow teaching his Royal Wildness to take it down ten notches when in the care of others.

I'll tell you what I do make it a point to do, praise him the whole way home. I tell him how proud I am of him for being so bright and well behaved. Then, when FTD gets home, I start back up with the praise. I want to make sure Ollie knows how proud FTD and I are of him for his good behavior.

I do this for two reasons:

1. So he keeps up good behavior while in the care of others.
2. SO HE DOES IT AT HOME!!!!!!

I just don't get it, why can't he be a good boy at home all of the time?

Clearly, he knows how.
Clearly, he knows it's the right thing to do.
Clearly, he knows I want him to.
CLEARLY, he doesn't give a shit!

Being that we are in the throws of the terrible twos, not only does he not give a shit about being well-behaved at home, I am certain he tries to get in trouble! It's like he LOVES to push my buttons, test the limits, climb on everything like a monkey, refuse to potty train even though he knows how to...  He also knows when to crawl in my lap and be sweet to erase all of his crazy.

It's amazing how my kid already knows how to work the system at just two years old! He is perfect at school, adorable to strangers, cheeky and funny when company is over, a limit testing terror when no one is looking... I just hope this brilliance extends to a profession so he can take care of me when I am older and in a loony bin thanks to his antics!