So I’ve often wondered if my children have brain damage. The rampant mood swings, the irrational behavior, waking up at 6am every day. Yesterday, the Boy laughed like an evil, B-movie, criminal mastermind all through dinner for no apparent reason. The Girl’s mood changed from giddy with happiness to sulky every few minutes.

Finally, a study that might explain it all!

The study says that manganese in drinking water might cause brain damage when inhaled in vapor form in the shower (or it might not, we really don’t know yet). We started giving the kids showers a few months ago – mainly for convenience, partially in an attempt to keep them from drinking the bath water. Based on studies of rats, they say it could take a decade to develop permanent brain damage. Who knows? Kids are more like rats than you think. Rats would drink bath water, wouldn’t they?

I guess what I’m really saying is that I’m not so concerned about the manganese as I am happy that there’s a possibility that the insanity wasn’t inherited from me.

Comments

1. Cisco on 2005-07-17 22:07:35 wrote: There is so much that we need to worry about with our kids that if we actually paid attention to everything, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy them. I have a seven year old girl-Light of my life

2. lyingsaucer on 2005-07-24 00:41:49 wrote: I wondered why you mentioned GESUNDHEIT in your headline?! Arent you English? Or is it just another word like Zeitgeist (which isnt often used in Germany but is a cool word in America and GB…)

3. jeff wilkinson on 2006-01-04 12:20:33 wrote: nice to have something (new) to blame that on… I might have to use that one too on my two little asylumistas.