Brilliant Outwitting

Part of being a parent is staying one step ahead in the game of manipulation. As any parent of a toddler will attest, kids between 2 and 4 are princes and princesses of perverse behavior. If you say something is black, they will say it's white. So how does one go about outsmarting their kid while he or she is in the throws of establishing toddler autonomy?

Phoenix has what many kids his age experience, some form of sensory integration. He thinks the bath water is scalding, when it is luke warm. He thinks that fizzy soda is "prickly" in his mouth. He thinks certain shorts or pants are itchy and any food that looks suspicious must be disgusting so is boycotted. Given my son's often obstinate behavior in any of these given situations, I am faced with two choices, forced immersion or reverse psychology. In other words: playful torture or brilliant outwitting. So what do these two forms of behavior modification look like you might ask.

Here's an example of brilliant out-witting: The other night, we had BBQ ribs for the first time. Phoenix eyed his plate and started to give that whatever this is, I'm NOT eating it look. Before Nix could even protest though, David launched a test a wills. Nix, being of the mindset that what's mine is mine, was about to have his strong will turned against him.

"I love BBQ ribs" David growled in a monster voice.

Phoenix flashed his dimples at him.

"I'm a gonna eat all my ribs and then I'm a gonna eat all YOURS," the monster continued.

"NO!" Phoenix wailed.

David reached his hand towards Phoenix's plate, "I'm a gonna eat 'em up...YUM!"

Phoenix's eyes flashed: Do I NOT eat this stuff because it looks gross or do I let David STEAL my dinner (that I don't even want)? David and Phoenix stared each other down like two contending arm wrestlers. Without batting an eye, Phoenix grabbed a rib and ripped off a bite. He grinned like a champion with sauce smeared across his cheeks. Each bite the other took was an invitation to establish who was the alpha rib eater - David or Phoenix. Who would it be? They growled at each other and took ravenous bites like vultures tearing into roadkill. In the end, I think they both won. Phoenix didn't LOOSE his dinner to David and David WON the sticky smile of a new BBQ rib fan.