to feel somewhat vindicated by work colleague discovering that not all toddlers are created equal.

[OrmIrian]

Having listened to her rant on for hours and hours in the past about her friends little boy who was ...oooh.. so naughty and destructive and who never did what he was told...while her little girls were soooo good. And why couldn't her mum control the little boy???? I would gently try to point out the sometimes little boys don't behave like little girls - I had one of each at the time. Now she has a 2yr old little boy and he's naughty and destructive and never does what he's told....and her other children were sooooo good at this age.

I just frown and nod and make sympathtic noises and tell her that boys can be like that.

no you are not. I chat to the mothers or gently chatty little blonde girls, as they explain that "She can be naughty though, sometimes I have to tell her something 3 or 4 times!"

So, has never vanished in a museum? eaten a packet of Rennie? used £50 worth of make uup as paint? Bounced on a bed so hard it broke? Used a spoon to poke the remote into the video?

And when asked "Why did you do that?"

reply, in a confidential tone,

"sometimes, Mummy, I just do naughty things."

No?

Hmmm..... my eldest who is 10 and I thought would be past the worst, will look me straight in the eye and do something he knows he shouldn't. And when asked why, he can't tell me.

thats one of my favourite things! i love it when mates have babies and then see what its really like!! ha ha!