Our Little Manipulator

Sure kids are cute, cuddly (well they were when they were babies) and a whole lot of fun.  But they have a dark side too.  They learn at a young age to be manipulators.

It can be simple things like they whine ask for you to get something for them say juice late at night, and you say no.  So they go to their other parent to whine ask the same question.  If parent #2 wasn't observing the initial discussion, then the child is likely to get whatever they were demanding in the first place.  See little manipulator.

Another example, when they look at you with those big brown, puppy dog eyes and ask to watch videos on your computer, but you say no.  And then those puppy dog eyes well up with tears, and they say in the sweetest of voices, "but I want to".  You cave because you're now done with whatever computer business you were doing, and you just want to stop the inevitable tantrum.

Well our little manipulator is back at it again.  The target this time, our day care provider Ms. Stephanie.  The agenda - refusing to go to the bathroom on the potty. 

We have a great track record at home now.  But it's a whole different story at Ms. Stephanie's.  Tuesday was the first day at her house in just undies.  He went 3-for-3.  I'd mentioned if she had to she should use the pull-ups we brought.  Well yesterday he was being a little stinker again - literally.  He went #2 in his pants before the "potty alarm" went off - and nailed a toy or two.

So Ms. Stephanie had to put him into a pull-up... pooping on the toys at a day care is a big faux pas.  And wouldn't you know it, Drew gets the pull-up on and starts to tell her when he has to go potty.  Thinking she was in the clear, Ms. Stephanie decides to put him back into his undies.  Only a short time later he stands up at the lunch table and proceeds to shoot a stream down his leg.

Little manipulator.

And it will only get worse as he gets older. *sigh*