The List

Kids rule their parents. Anyone who argues otherwise is delusional. Take this example: I'm getting my 3 y.o. son ready for his karate class. He needed to put on his belt, but he refused to do so. Quickly running out of time, I realized that I would lose this test of wills either way. By arguing with him, he stalls, he wins. By letting him go without the belt, he wins. After a heated discussion concerning his bad behavior, my wife stormed out of the house. Ultimately, under penalty of severe timeout punishment, he allowed me to put it on and we leave. While he is in class, I discuss in the car deficiencies of my daughter Gg's behavior with her. I write her a list of things that I want her to do:

1. Make your bed when you get up in the morning.
2. Get in bed when asked to.
3. Pick up the dirty clothes and put them in the hamper/ clean clothes away.
4. Put toys away before taking a new one out to play with.
5. Don't fight with your brother.

The discussion continues:

G-man: I want you to do everything on this list, ok?
Gg: Yes daddy.
G-man: Can you do them every day for the rest of the year?
Gg: No.
G-man: Why not?
Gg: I don't want to tell you.
G-man: How about today?
Gg: I can't.
G-man: Well, how about #1?
Gg: yes, I can do that.
G-man: How about #2?
Gg: no problem, daddy.
G-man: #3?
Gg: ok, daddy.
G-man: #4?
Gg: yes, daddy.
G-man: How about #5?
Gg: I can't do that.
G-man: Why not?
Gg: Because he starts it.