Playing Chicken...

Remember being teens or younger and seeing how long you could outlast your friends while doing something stupid??  I don't think that goes away... ever.  It just evolves to new levels. 

Once you're a parent you use it to be lazy rather than stupid.  DS #2 wakes up from his nap and is making noise, intermittently, in his crib.  Both of us wait as long as we can supposedly to make sure he's actually ready to get up.  Really we're just hoping that the other one will make a move first, thus allowing the winner to continue doing whatever it was that we had been doing.

There are several strategies to this.  You could pretend not to hear the kid: such as at night when you're both woken up, but one parent pretends to still be asleep.  (I won't name names, but one of us is a master at this!)  {cough *Dave* cough}   Another strategy is all of a sudden being on your way to do something very important, "uh can you get the kid? I'm busy sorting the cutlery..."  (or whatever!)

I can give you many reasons why parents try to avoid being the one to go get the kid from the crib.  Its not that we don't want to see them its more that we don't want to have to deal with the diaper... which after a nap or full night's sleep has a high probability of being a stinker! 

Even when the kids awake and it happens its very likely that there will be some sort of pass-off maneuver attempted in order to avoid the stinky diaper.  In our house it can be as juvenile as carrying him to the other parent passing him over and then saying, "You touched him last,"  as you dance out  of range.  Or there is convincing the kid to go find Daddy/mommy in a different room and hoping that they notice and change the diaper! (I may or may not have tried that...)  Since I'm home all day with the kids I pull the, "I've already changed X diapers today so its your turn!"  Its almost indisputable, unfortunately for me most diaper changes happen when I 'm home with the kids alone so I don't have an out.

I do have to say that I am looking forward to potty training and finally being rid of diapers!  Although then you have to deal with accidents and pretty much feel like you're tied to the house for fear of accidents.   For now I'll just work on my super power of subliminally influencing my hubby to get up before I have to...  OK, I just poke him until he moves!  Soon I'll be the parenting "chicken" champ!