Played like a piano

I just found out that Daniel can play the piano...metaphorically speaking anyway, if that piano is ME.

The other night we were trying to put Daniel down for bed and he didn't want to go to bed and was throwing out every reason he could think of to avoid going to bed.

First Heidi went through the normal bed routine with him: bath, reading, going potty, brushing teeth etc... But as soon as she said goodnight he threw a fit and cried and screamed. We let him scream for a few minutes then I went in to try to calm him down. I tried to talk with him to understand why he's so upset. He started out saying he wanted juice. I explain to him that there is no more juice tonight but he can have water. Screaming.

There's always some random reason: he wants juice, he wants to go potty again or brush his teeth again, he wants to take a book to bed with him, he noticed some crumbs on his floor and wants to vacuum it up - some random reason why he doesn't want to go to bed.

After a minute he calms down but wants to read another book. I really hate sending him to bed with any bad feelings so if that's all it will take for him to go to bed happy or content then fine, one more quick book isn't asking too much. I read another book with him. He wants to read another book. It's already late and Heidi has already read books to him too so I say no more tonight, we can read again tomorrow. Screaming.

After he calms down again he now says he has to go potty. He's already been potty but it seems like such a small effort if he will then be content to go to bed. So I take him potty again. He takes a long time and after I finally persuade him that he's done, he reluctantly goes back to his room. At the mere mention of "hop on your bed" - screaming.

Now he asks for juice again and I explain again that there is no juice, but he can have water. Screaming again. (Ok you see the pattern. And this happens every night it seems like.)

He then asks for mommy. He really has a convincing boo-hoo face on and I really feel concerned making him go to bed crying, I certainly don't want him to go to bed with hard feelings and inadvertantly be the cause of bad dreams. Then he throws in "mommy, hug" which I don't know the exact translation of because he says "hug" when he wants me to pick him up or carry him up or down the stairs, but he's so upset right now and he's asking for mommy so I gave him the benefit of the doubt and assumed he wanted mommy to give mommy a hug and say sorry and say goodnight so I go and get mom and let her take over.

Now I feel better that I was able to calm him down and make things right and he'll now go to bed feeling good. Less than a minute later I hear him screaming again. Mom comes out and I ask what happened? I thought he just wanted to give you a hug and say goodnight, and she says no, he wanted juice.

Suddenly Buggs Bunny is standing next to me holding up a picture of a sucker with an arrow pointing at me.

He didn't want any of those things, all he really wanted was to not go to bed and I obliged him for another 30 minutes. I fell for his ruse. I was deliberately manipulated by a 2 year old.

Why you little...! That conniving little...! I've been played. Ok, deep breath. If he is really that determined to get what he wants that he can convince others to unwittingly help him, then good for him. I hope he uses that power for good and really gets ahead in life.