Getting Dylan to say "please" when he wants something is like negotiating a hostage situation with a criminal. It can last hours and hours, going back and forth.
We don't want to negotiate.
"You want to get down (from the high chair)?"
"Uhhh (yes)."
"O.K., say 'please' first."
"NO!"
"You're not getting down then."
"Noooo (with a half-cry/whine)!"
"No. You will stay there until you say please."
Repeat around 5 times. Dylan gets antsy, impatient, a little crazy. Fine. Let's try to negotiate then.
"Does Dylan want to go down? If you say 'down please', I'll let you down."
"NOooooo...."
"Just say 'please'. Just one word. All you have to say is 'please' and you can go down."
"NO!"
"Please?"
"No, (crying out) mamamamama..."
And back and forth, for about 10 more minutes. Patience is very difficult. Holding steadfast is harder. Not getting angry or impatient - harder still. Sometimes you just want to throw in the towel and say O.K. and let him down. But it's just imperative to go on. He may have said it but very reluctantly and hardly audibly. He may have said it, but hard to discern, putting a tongue twist like "ease", obviously not really meaning it. Then when you think all is lost, he finally says "pease". Triumph, success, praises to him on a job well done. He is only too happy to be free. Sometimes I wonder, did he really get the point of that long excersice? I hope so. Other words, he has absolutely no problem repeating. I really can't say why "please" is so difficult while "firefly" is not.
9:07 PM | |
