Children impose their addictions in phases. My 4-year-old son expressed a passion for road signs. Then he moved to drainage pipes and storm sewers (no, just looking at them, silly).
As a parent I of course warn my child not to stick his head too close to drainage pipes. He understands simple propulsion and automated withdraw of water by me offering the brilliant explanation, "Not too close, that hole spits water." I would say "shoot" or "jets" but I don't want to teach my 4-year-old about cannon fire just yet and "jets" is just another flowery, unnecessary term.
As a father I offer precautions considering road signs tend to be standing near .. roads .. or .. highways. I marvel how my child just wants to walk across two lanes of traffic or busy parking lots to touch a speed limit sign along a curb lined with half a dozen drainage pipes.
Coloring books and sandboxes just don't cut it anymore.
