Monday, March 10, 2008

Tricky Phil

Although Noah still hasn't gone back to his totally naughty ways that we experienced during the month following our return from our cruise, he's settled in to what I think is pretty typical two-year-old behavior. He likes to say "No!" almost anytime that we ask/tell him to do something. Phil figured out the other day that Noah will do pretty much anything, as long as we ask him to agree with what we are asking. I'll share an example from this week-end:

Me: Noah . . . let's get your pajamas on. It's time for bed.
Noah: No!
Me: Come on, it's bedtime. Let's go.
Noah: No! Don't want it.
Me: Yes. We need to put your pajamas on. Don't say 'no' again. Get over here. (as I grab him by the arm and start to pull him toward me.)
Noah: Noooooooooo! No bedtime. (starts to cry)
Me: Not saying anything - but getting increasingly frustrated

Phil enters the room and witnesses the beginning of what could turn into a pretty chaotic bedtime . . .

Phil: What's wrong?
Me: He doesn't want to go to bed.
Noah: No want it, mommy. (still whimpering)
Phil: Watch this . . . Hey Noah?
Noah: Huh?
Phil: It's time to go to bed, okay?
Noah: Not saying anything, but looking a little confused
Phil: It's bedtime. Let mommy put your pajamas on so that you can go to bed. Okay, Noah?
Noah: Okay. (crying stops, and he comes right to me)
Me: What the . . . ???
Phil: If you can get him to say 'Okay' he'll do whatever you ask.
Me: Nice!

One thing that this taught me is that I'm glad that Phil has all that psychology training. And he tells me all the time that he doesn't know anything about child psychology. Yeah, right. He knows enough to get Noah to cooperate at bedtime which is all that matters to me most days.

It has also been confirmed to me that I am clearly the mother of a two-year-old little boy who definitely has a mind of his own. Basically he will do anything, as long as he gets a chance to buy into it. Otherwise, he will put up a fight like none other. I have a hunch that Noah is either going to have to be self-employed when he grows up or he will have to work for somebody who is totally okay with asking "Pretty please?" to get him to do his job.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

And here I thought Phil was only good for wiping boogers on....

That's sumthin'

Michelle said...

AWESOME! I'm totally going to test that out on my kids! Thanks for the advice! Next time are you going to charge me?

Anonymous said...

Sheesh, just when I get used to the way your old blog looked you go ahead and change everything. Ugh!

Hey, is that the good Michelle or the bad Michelle?

;-)

Michelle said...

Ha! Ha! Funny. The one and only Michelle. Ü