This was an actual conversation at our dinner the other night.
Kaila: (whiney voice) I want moooorrreee breeeeaaaddd!!
Parents: Kaila, you need to finish your chicken soup before you have more bread.
K: NO. I will NOT eat more soup.
Parents: Thats fine sweety. You don't have to. (smile sweetly at her and look away)
K: I want mooooorrree breeeeaaddd!!!
Parents: Sure sweetie, as soon as you eat more soup. (continue our adult conversation, we're such giving parents)
Kaila:(looks at us in our eyes and bodly states) I WILL GET SOME BREAD!
Parents:(We hide our shock behind a permissive voice that refuses to be dragged into a fight and give her the reaction she wants). Ok. There's none out, but you can look. We smile sweetly and look away again, continueing our adult conversation)
Kaila: (stomps to the counter with a black scowl on her face, sees that there's just a few odds and ends and a glass jar on the counter, no bread and says) I Will throw things!
Parents: (barely holding in laughter and continueing to pretend that we are engaged in our own conversation, talking to her as as side note) That's fine sweety you can throw things, you will just have to pick up everything you throw. (Kaila looks at us, and throws a rag on the ground and a piece of string, then looks to see our reaction. We smile sweetly at her.) Go ahead (in a very kind voice) throw something else if you want, you will just have to clean up everything you throw when you're done. (Kaila pauses, looks as though she's questioning whether or not she wants to continue, her motivation is wavering, but she picks up the glass jar)
Parents: You can throw that, but it it might break and get powder and glass all over the place and that would be alot of work for you to clean up (insert "sad-for-you" face here). You would be there cleaning for a long time.(look away and hold our breath to see what she decides)
Kaila: (Puts the glass jar back and throws another rag to the ground instead, then eventually begins to roll around aimlessly and sadly on the ground).
Parents: (cracking up but hiding it, wait a few minutes to let her get bored of wallowing in her own self-pity) Kaila, You can go clean up the things you threw on the ground right now, or you can sit on the time-out chair until your're ready to clean up. Bath and Dessert are next when you're done with all those things!
Kaila: (in a super cheery voice with a big smile, she jumps up and says ) I will clean up!!! (smiles happily, all previous angst forgotten. She hops over to clean up her mess on the ground, busses her plate to the sink, and moves on with life, skipping to the bathroom and excited for dessert)
NOTE: Yes, we do tell our children "NO" firmly. We just didn't think that this was the time for it, and yes, we assessed the situation for real danger and determined that there was none.
