Reverse Evolution

I’m carrying out a study of man’s evolution by observing the four males in our house and I don’t want to alarm anyone, but I think it might be going backwards.

For example, I watch our seventeen month old and he loves to sort things into categories and put things away.  He actively tries to find things that are hidden and he will always walk over to the television rather than using the remote.  He loves turning on the washing machine and is constantly on the move.

Then we have our three year old; he likes to do things for himself, like getting dressed and making his own lunch, but can be reluctant to tidy up.  He puts his plate in the sink after a meal and communicates eloquently on a wide range of subjects, but won’t look for things that are lost, preferring to ask me to do it.

Our nearly seven year old sees tasks through until the end and sometimes completes his homework when I’ve only asked him to do half.  He puts his clothes in his wardrobe or washing basket (not neatly, but at least he tries) and occasionally he’ll do things spontaneously, just to help me out, like keeping his two brothers occupied whilst I make the tea.  He’s developing a phobia of washing, however, and increasingly forgets to put his rubbish in the bin.

All three of them play with their willies, on a regular basis.

Now, I’m not saying that by the time boys grow into adult men the process will have COMPLETELY reversed, but I have to admit that when I visit the primate enclosure at the zoo I do get a certain sense of deja vu when I see the gorillas scratching their heads and grunting at each other.

And I feel fairly sure that if they wore trousers, their hands would be down them because, let’s face it, some things never change…