Going Commando: What are They Thinking?

I noticed something unusual the other day. Two pair of male underwear were on the floor of our downstairs' bathroom. One pair was Spiderman; the other was Thomas the Tank-Engine. Because I knew that my Spiderman underwear was safely in my dresser drawer and that these were several dozen sizes too small for me, I knew they weren't mine. I put them in the dirty clothes hamper and assumed that there was a story behind the occurrence, but neglected to follow up on it with the management.

Time went by, and I continued to find underwear on the bathroom floor. Thomas and Spidey and Blue and generic trucks all ended up on the bathroom floor. The evidence was piling up that something was amiss. An investigation undertaken by the management now proves that my son has taken up a disturbing habit. He will go into the bathroom, do his business, and return to play sans underwear. Oh, he will still be wearing pants, but he has availed himself of the opportunity in the bathroom to remove his underwear. His explanations as to why he does this have not been satisfactory. Apparently, he likes the freedom of the commando style (al la Cosmo Kramer). Even worse, my explanations as to why it is a good idea to wear underwear have not been satisfactory either.

Of course, it is entirely possible that his observation of the boy down the street (who frequently rides his bike in nothing but his underwear and on occasion, without any clothes at all) has put ideas into his mind. My son greeted his female cousin last week by standing at the top of the stairs, shouting her name, and throwing up his hands in greeting; he was wearing only a t-shirt.

Peace