Sunday, March 30, 2008

Bad Parenting Technique #34: Reasoning with a Toddler


Here is a play-by-play of the conversation with Cody this afternoon. Keep in mind that it is 2pm - we just got home from being at church all morning, Abby had just thrown up everywhere and Cody is 2 hours overdue for a nap. I just want to get a bite to eat and take a nap myself.


Cody: Juice!

Mommy: OK (Mommy gets the sippy cup out)

Cody: No...don't want it. (referring to the cup) This. (pointing to Abby's bottles)

Mommy: Big boys don't drink from bottles, they use big boy cups.

Cody: (Meltdown starts) Whaaaahhhh!

Mommy: (Thinks to herself) What's the big deal its just a bottle? (Gets a bottle and starts to put juice in it.)

Cody: No.....Milk!

Mommy: But you said you wanted juice. Fine. (Pours juice back into container and rinses out the bottle and fills it with milk.)

Cody: No....don't want it. Juice!

Mommy: What? I made you juice first and you said you wanted milk. So this is what you are going to drink!

Cody: Whaaaaahhhh! (throws body on the floor and screams louder) WHAAAAAHHHH!

Mommy: Look Cody, I'm pouring the juice in the bottle for you. (really just pretending with the lid still on the juice)

Cody: No!!!!!!!!

Mommy: (in a sweet tone) Oh Cody, look its special "milk-juice" just for you!

Cody: (not buying it, continues to scream) JUUUUUUICCCCCE!!!!!!

Mommy: Fine. (gets a second bottle and pours juice in it)

Cody: (stops crying) Thank you Mommy.


He took turns drinking both milk and juice and is perfectly happy now. I'm sure there are plenty of things that I did wrong in this situation, but the crying has stopped momentarily and I'm thankful that these days are only for a "season".... I hope. : )


5 comments:

Super Rog said...

Hey I'm in customer service...it's not that different.

Robinson Family said...

In the words of the great theologian "Riz" from Grease, "There are worse things I could do..."

Super Rog said...

I wonder. Does he get if from Clay

Amber said...

Hee hee hee, man I am looking forward to those days!!

Anonymous said...

You've been home for several days and yet no new posts...what's up with that?