There have been several instances during my parenting career where I have caved. I fully admit that I give in to the crazy behaviors of my children. Sometimes their wills are simply stronger than mine and they win the battle.
These instances got me thinking. What if our little ankle-biters are really on to something? The logic behind these strategies have the full capability of being transfered to the adult world.
- If I ask the same question 154 times I will get the answer I want.
Supposedly persistence pays off. My kids are known to ask the same question until I crack. This either results in me firmly standing my ground… or giving up and giving in.
There is evidence that this works in the adult world. For example, sticking it out with customer service typically pays off. If you are willing to repeat yourself and put in the time, you just might get your way.
- No pants, no problems.
Pants are a constant struggle in our home. My kids argue that pants are unnecessary and uncomfortable. At this point I have pretty much given up. As long as the private stuff is covered in some way, the outfit passes.
I consider this argument easily transferred to the current Lularoe phenomenon. Adult women have revolted and say “No more pants!” I fully admit that I am commonly found in leggings. I fully understand the no pants logic.
- Throwing myself on the floor and screaming best portrays the legitimacy of my argument.
This one just irritates me. I do not cave to floor fits. If anything, I become more firm to my original opinion.
I wish this particular behavior did not transfer to the adult world but here we are. Social media rants, frivolous legal action, and tearing down the success of others all translate to an adult floor fit. Unfortunately for us, this behavior is caved to with adults more often than to toddlers.
- The food groups consist of peanut butter, chips, and whatever is not for dinner.
My children will claim to be completely full and claim they cannot tolerate another bite. Typically we bargain and agree on a minimum number of bites that must be competed before exiting the table. This is almost always followed by my children attempting to raid the snack cabinet. This makes me cringe. My kids have actually told me that they only have room in their tummies for peanut butter crackers.
I understand the real food aversion though. If I could substitute the majority of my meals for tator tots and ranch dressing, I would. Clearly this logic is not plausible, or healthy, but we can at least dream.
After further evaluation the ankle-biters do have a point. Toddler logic simply makes sense.
Tired Not Dead 