But it’s true. This little employee sometimes hops on a bus and takes a trip straight to the Twoville Offices.

Evidence

• We are well past the stage of throwing food, plates, utensils, and cups at meal times to see that indeed, they land on the floor and make a mess. We covered Cause and Effect months ago. Except, N.Lo continues to study this concept on a daily basis with an air of true defiance. I want something else to eat! *Crash.* There goes the plate. I’m done eating and I want to get down from the chair! *Thwap.* Flying forks and spoons. I need more DRINK! *Whoosh. Clunk.” There goes the sippy cup. Note that Management is very stern in response to this behavior, but with this behavior alone, N.Lo remains unmoved. Our ducking reflexes have also improved.
• For all his charming agreeability, N.Lo has quite a handle on the word, “No.” He speaks it with a tone of irritation in response to certain suggestions, as though you might have lost your mind to think it’s time for a diaper change, to go down for a nap, or to go bye-bye.
• Employee battles over office supplies have increased in incidence and escalated in drama. Because now, N.Lo cares. He not only cares whether a toy is stolen from his possession, but he also instigates his own share of conflicts, knowing which specific thefts will hit K.Lo the hardest. Watch out, he’ll take that My Little Pony and run!
• He’s a biter. In fact, you can see in this photo that he enjoys biting objects in the manner of a puppy; pull on the other end of that blanket, and he’ll shake his head back and forth and pull. N.Lo has been implicated in the biting crime throughout the course of his career, but we are now to the point where he can be expected to take some personal responsibility. He doesn’t bite very often, but of course when he does, it hurts. And, he may have figured out that reprimands from Management will be much more…heated when Management is on the receiving end of such bites. So, his frequent target of late: K.Lo. Poor K.Lo. She’s got battle scars.
• N.Lo still (knock on wood) enjoys both Afternoon Breaks and his work on the Night Shift, BUT he is not always friendly when he wakes up. Gone are the days of happy babbling and jumping up and down on the crib mattress, so excited to see the Manager or CEO when they enter the room. Instead, many times the employee will sneer and roll over, covering his head with the blankie. True story.
• Also: clingy.
• And: stands up in the shopping cart seat despite warnings that he’ll fall and crack his head open.
• And! Chucks a lot of the good, healthy food on his plate, and goes for the junkier fare only. At the end of the day, I’m not sure he’s had much more than potato chips and gummy snacks. And perhaps a vitamin.

Poor N.Lo. It’s a difficult stage in an employee’s career. You don’t yet have the vocabulary to express what you want or need, and in general, Management’s restrictions feel oppressive and completely unnecessary.

Next up: You have the right words to say what you want or need, but you are still denied. This job is tough!