My dad called the other night and while we were talking, my son Drew was running around the family room and playing (Drew’ll be 4 years old in May). As I continue talking to Dad, Drew runs out of the room for a few moments and then returns. Without pants. He then runs around for a bit and again runs out of the room. He comes back a few moments later. Without a shirt. Drew then proceeds to run around in his underwear for a few moments. Then he sits down and strips off his underwear and continues his frolicking.
Now, I have a decent-sized family room with a couch in the middle of the floor. Alyssa and I are on the couch, Alyssa watching TV and me in conversation with my dad. For eight solid minutes, Drew proceeds to run in circles around the couch, naked as a jaybird, apparently in great and joyful spirits, leaping and cavorting. Then he sits down and watches TV for a few moments, and then puts his underwear back on. Then he runs around the couch for 5 more minutes. Then he sits down, apparently satisfied with his quest. I finish my phone call, take the kids upstairs, and put them to bed. When my wife gets home, I completely forget to tell her about Drew’s “unique behavior.”
The next night, I tell my wife about Drew’s escapades and we discuss the situation. Is this normal? Is Drew acting out for some reason? Has Drew developed nudist tendencies? Will Drew grow up to become a professional nudist? We decide to ask Drew himself. Drew seems puzzled–perhaps he doesn’t remember his nude adventures? Then the light dawns and he looks at us like we’re idiots. “Daddy, I was Tarzan!” he exclaims in his “don’t you get it?” voice. Tarzan runs around nudie-butt, I ask? Yes, apparently he does. According to Drew, Tarzan runs around in the nude all the time, except when he doesn’t. Then he runs around in his underwear all the time.
Somebody tell me–they do grow out of this, right? Because I don’t think they’ll go for this when he’s 21 and out in the workforce. Running around his coworker’s desks in the nude might be considered improper workplace etiquette–or maybe I’m just old-fashioned….