I will give you a reason to hide you tiny sadist.

Does he hide in the house or the neighborhood?

Does he think he's funny?

He's old enough to start Aesop's Fables. Try The Little Boy Who Cried "Wolf"

You're earning your gray hairs.

Can I just say that you deserve some sort of reward for the best titlist on A2K (and that's against some stiff competition)?

Ack, hiding. I wouldn't be surprised if this is yet another variation of bond-testing. "What would she do if I was really really gone? Would she care?" The fact that the answer is "YES!!!!!!!!!" is likely both reassuring for him and really, really irritating for you.

Maybe you can have different consequences attached to hiding in the house or out of the house -- that out of the house is verboten while in the house is not encouraged, but tolerated. Sometimes.

I remember feeling sorry for myself when sozlet went through a spate of this because I couldn't just yell and hear her response -- this reminds me that I was probably over-optimistic in assuming that she'd respond.

He hides in the house, sometimes in the garage. Today he did it big when I had to take him in to work for a bit and he hid in the studio (which is not quite as kid-proof as home).

Oh. He thinks it is absolutely hilarious.

I probably wouldn't worry at home quite so much but there have been several times that he has scaled the fence - all 6 feet of it - and the neighbor's yard is not secure.

At the studio, I freaked. We don't know all the neighbors that well, there and he doesn't know his way around the neighborhood.

I hate to get mad when he "outs" himself because that is what I'm trying to get him to do and frankly, I'm so relieved that he's found that I'm not mad anymore.

The 30 seconds before he reappears I'm ready to wring his neck though.

Trying hard to remember, but I honestly don't think my kids ever did this. They played hide and seek with each other. Sometimes I joined in the game. But, to just hide from me?

How nerve racking that must be!!!

Is he laughing about it afterwards? Or, just the pissy "I'm here!"

Will have to think about this one. Meantime, I'll vouch for you in court on the duct tape idea.

What a little squirt you got there, Boomer. Your tales here do make me smile. I'm looking forward t big things from this little guy.

Oh lordy. I can't even imagine not being able to hear when after hours (okay, minutes) of yelling I couldn't hear that sacastic little "I'mmmmm riiiight heeee-aarrrr.

My niece hid once and fell asleep. There was a freaking man-hunt underway by the time she woke up. So I know this happens. What I didn't know is that it can happen several times a day, over the course of several days, and in a variety of places.

Yes he laughs until my look of relief starts turning to the look of I'm gonna duct tape you to a chair.

I just hope the big things aren't Enron-esque.

Your kids never hid from you? You must be one of those eyes-in-the-back-of-your-head moms. I had one of those. You guys are freaky scary.

I was an occasional hider.
Usually when I didn't want to go someplace.
Or didn't want to leave the place we'd gone to.
Purposeful hiding.

I used to babysit an evil child who used to hide so that he could lure you into a room - and lock you into it.

Purposeful hiding.
He stopped after I climbed out the window and caught up with him in the house.
I didn't do anything to him, but he didn't know I wasn't going to.

Several of my friends' kids have gone through bouts of hiding. There usually seemed to be some kind of purpose - very individualized purpose.

Wonder what Mo's purpose is. Confirmation that you'll look? Confirmation that you won't get mad? Trying to stay where he is? Trying to avoid going somewhere/doing something? ...

How long has the hiding been going on? It might be a brief, horribly annoying interlude.

His purpose?

Oh man. I'm sunk. I have no idea.

The hiding has been going on for about the last three months but it is really only the last two days that it has gotten out of hand.

Hiding at the studio was bad.

Then we came home and I was starting dinner and he was playing in the back yard then he rang the front door bell (fence climbing day!) a little while after that he hid.

I doubly freaked because he had escaped into the front yard earlier.

I wonder if my neighborhood has some regulation against razor wire topped fences.....

Okay, here's what I might do andy ou can give it a try if it seems to fit.

Next time he hides from you at home:

LOUDLY "I wonder where Mo might be? I guess he's hiding from me again. I'll just have to have ice-cream by myself."

Fix yourself some ice-cream (or whatever a treat for him might be) sit down to eat it. If he doesn't show up right away, comment on how good it is LOUDLY. If he shows up when you are almost finished tell him you are sorry he missed out and that you wish he had not been hiding from you so that you could have had ice-cream together.

If he is hiding at work:

LOUDLY "I finished my work and I'm ready to go. I guess Mo is hiding from me again. I wanted to take him to the park (or other treat) but I won't have time if he keeps hiding."

Wait a couple of minutes.

LOUDLY "Well, I guess I will have to go to the park by myself. I wish Mo could go with me but he is hiding. If he comes out of hiding, tell him I will come back for him after I go to the park by myself."

Then loudly rattle your keys and make "leaving noises." Walk out if he does not appear. Wait outside for a few minutes to see if he comes out. If he waits to this point make it clear that you no longer have time to go to the park because he was hiding and that if he had not been hiding you would have had time to go.

Stick to your guns and be firm with the consequences. If it's a test to see if you will miss him, he will know your original desire to do something with him while also showing him that his actions are geting in the way of him being able to do other things thatmight be more fun than hiding. If he is getting a kick out of your panicked reaction, you will not be providing that reward by reacting this way instead.

Squinney makes good sense.

Motivation for Mo? Power--raw power. Powerful kids can make Mommie worry. Better that he learn limits now than wait ten years to test your endurance.

I'll go with Squinney too... it's the exact tactic we use on the Mencappers...

squinney- Your tactic is great. It shows the child that you care, but gives him the message that you are not freaking out over his behavior, which is what the little control freak really wants!

Okay. I'll have to swallow my panic first but I should be able to do that.

I'll have to trust that he hasn't gone far.

He is a bit of a control freak - especially lately - so I can see how this might be more of the same.

This week I have been really involved in a project for work, complicated by the fact that my computer is still not working and Mr. B's does not have the programs that I need. To get the work done I have to travel to the studio or I have to learn my way around different programs that I don't typically use. Perhaps my distraction is leading him to discover new ways to disrupt my concentration.

Hmmmm.

No, No . . . pay attention to ME . . .


The little dogs do that all the time . . . small critters, small people included, get uneasy if they don't feel that they are the center of attention . . .

Setanta has it. In Mo's mind if you are paying extra attention anywhere it should be to Mo.

Isn't he getting clever about getting what he wants? Have another gray hair.

put a cow bell around his neck.


;-)

Ooh, squinney's GOOD!!!!!

<high five>

Waiting to hear if he has tried hiding again.

Was also wondring if you ever get a break, Boomer. I would certainly need one by now.

I was wondering if Mo tries on the same sorts of behaviour with Mr. Boomer, or other adults when they're on Mo-patrol.