I recently read a a short chapter from the new book Toddlers Gone Wild! by Rebecca Eckler, where she talks about what a poor litigator her child is. Isa on the other hand is a great litigator, in fact she has learned to negotiate her way into getting more time than we anticipated.
A typical negotiation with her goes something like this:
Me: Isa, it's time to ....(insert activity, ie. change diaper, eat, go home, have bath)
Isa: FIVE MINUT (holds out hand while shouting)
Me: Ok, five minutes
(wait anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes, depending on what I have going on and how in a hurry I am)
Me: Isa, five minutes are up. It's time to...
Isa: TWO MINUT ( again holds out hand with two chubby fingers sticking out)
Me: One minute!
Isa: ok, mama. (point goes to Isa)
After these negotiations she is very responsive, I think that she feels like she got her way and is very proud of herself, which we all know she has.
All this success at the negotiating table has encouraged her to pull out the 5 minute card again on us. Sometimes she gets away with it and sometimes we catch it in time, it all depends on how on the ball the mother is.
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