When Stephen was born, my mother-in-law said that he was destined to qi1 fu5/bully me. There’s no finer example of this than shower time.

At home, he hardly ever complains about having to take a bath. In fact, he often suggests it himself. Sometimes he’ll take two showers a day. Once after school or after a potty accident, and once in the evening before bed. He hasn’t complained about water in his eyes for quite some time.

On vacation, however, it’s a totally different story. Whether we’re at my parents’ house or my in-laws’, he will scream, cry, and complain as if he were deathly afraid of taking a shower. Everyone either thinks there’s something wrong with my technique or that there’s something wrong with him. Regardless, Stephen’s behavior and their judgment frustrate me.

I think he’s just putting on a show. The same is true of his high-pitched screams. With grandma and grandpa, he shrieks every half-hour. With mom and dad, he screams a couple of times a day tops. He knows exactly who he can qi fu and when. Skills he learned as the undisputed prince of the family.