Much Ado About Splashing

By Joe Barker

In something of a change of direction for this column, we're going to focus on one of the joys of parenting this month, rather than the trials and tribulations that normally occupy our attention. Nothing, except possibly cake, brings Marty more joy than water, and with Songkran coming up in April it seems like the perfect time to talk about water play. Now, of course, being a child Marty often manages to find ways to be upset even when doing something he loves, and can always be relied on to find ways to be annoying. Nonetheless, water play is generally a time for giggling, joy, and heartwarming family moments.

Family competition 

At three months old, Marty was already showing enthusiasm for water, and bathtime was one of the best parts of our day with delighted smiles and adorable splashing. This, I told myself, is just what we need to sneak a competitive advantage. How, I asked myself, could anyone fail to be bowled over by something so cute? Now you may be wondering why a three-month-old Marty needed a competitive advantage, and the simple answer is: family rivalry. By making Marty the eldest grandchild, we had done our best to give him an edge in the race to be granny’s favorite, but his cousin was only a few weeks behind him and she had a huge home advantage. Living only a few minutes from granny, she had been wowing her with cute smiles and hugs from day one. Marty might be equally photogenic but a picture doesn’t compare to the real thing. So, as soon as we were back in England, I was determined that Marty should make up any lost ground, and the secret weapon in my armory was going to be bathtime.

Every bathtime had been full of joyous kicking and giggling followed by cocooning the beaming boy in a towel and a loving hug. On one of our first days in England, I, with the confidence of a new parent, insisted that granny should stop whatever she was doing and come help with a bath. It would, I promised her, be well worth her time. Cue the shortest, screamiest bath we've ever had—possibly the only screamy bath we’ve ever had. I still don’t know why it happened, but what I do know is that granny beat a hasty retreat, Marty's screams ringing in her ears, and has refused to have anything to do with bathtimes ever again. With the arrival of yet more cute and local cousins, I fear Marty has forever lost his chance of being the favorite. Was it the shock of bathing in an English winter? Was it the unfamiliar bathroom? Or was it simply the natural instinct of children to embarrass their parents at every opportunity?

Always helpful

Obviously, whether it's bathtime or a quick rinse, Marty considers it his solemn duty to splash as much water as possible on the floor. To a water sprite such as him, floors are best when under an inch or two of water. Although better even than soaking the floor is soaking daddy or nanny, or whoever is washing him. Of course, he is most successful at this when we're finally ready to go out and all dressed in our finest clothes. As if changing a diaper and washing Marty hadn't already been enough of a delay, we then have to change daddy too. 

He is similarly helpful when it comes to washing up. Why stop with the dishes? That shows a distinct lack of imagination and ambition. He leaves daddy to do the prosaic plates and cutlery, while he, pausing only to pour a glass or two of water on the floor, grabs a sponge and starts scrubbing the cupboards—inside and out, the floor, the cat, and anything else that doesn't move quickly enough. Of course in Thailand things dry pretty much instantly; I imagine this would be a lot more annoying in a damp English summer. 
 

A one-boy drought maker

Marty's favorite way to be cleaned after a diaper change is for his nanny to hose him down in the garden. He'll come running out of the house proudly announcing that he needs a diaper change, refusing help from anyone but his nanny—the lucky lady! Once she starts spraying him with a hose, he doesn't like her to stop. Dancing, shrieking, naked in the yard, he plays in the fountain of water and loves it. I'm not sure what the neighbor thinks of it, but into every life a little rain must fall, or in this case a steady sprinkling of hosepipe water. 

It didn't take Marty long to realize that playing under the hosepipe needn't just be a post-poop treat. Once he'd figured out how to turn the tap on, any unchaperoned moments were likely to be spent running to the hosepipe and then giggling gleefully while spraying water over himself and the garden, plus, of course, anyone foolhardy enough to try and turn off the tap. Not that there is much point in doing that as he'll soon give you the slip and turn it on again. The only solution is to turn the water off at the mains, which is hard luck for anyone in the middle of a shower.
 

Thai water features

Thailand has a number of important features for the young water lover and their family. As we've touched on, its warmth means that things dry and no one gets too cold, but there are other greater advantages. Perhaps the finest of these is the wet season. Even a good hosepipe cannot compare to the exhilaration of running in a tropical downpour or maybe disporting under a thundering drain pipe. Instantly drenched, but joyful, Marty struggles to understand why mommy and daddy are less keen to dance in the rain. As our soi fills with water, Marty can be seen splashing up and down, naked, except for an umbrella he waves wildly. Behind him comes a fully clad, and considerably less joyful, daddy trudging, huddled under a leaking umbrella.

BAMBI water play

I couldn't talk about Marty and water without mentioning BAMBI playgroups with water play. These are always our favorite part of a playgroup. My top tip is to do the water play at the end of the playgroup, so that you still have some dry clothes to change into. Obviously I worked this out for myself eventually, but not until I’d spent a few playgroups wondering firstly, why Marty was the only child playing with the water, and secondly, why he was the only child finishing the playgroup naked before being wheeled home clad just in his towel and one dry sock.

Happy Songkran and happy splashing!

Photos courtesy of the author.

About the Author

Having enjoyed taking his son to BAMBI playgroups over the past months, Joe is excited to volunteer with BAMBI. He and his wife moved to Thailand from the UK in 2018. In 2021 they were delighted to be joined by their son, Martin. They love exploring Thailand as a family, especially anywhere with a playground or sand.