It's bedtime and Cary and I have been nagging Noah to get ready for bed. He's already lost his story from us when we were still downstairs for fooling around repeatedly when asked to finish his milk, carry his dishes over and get upstairs to start getting ready. He's already been reminded about "time and place" and "appropriate response." He's already been instructed to adopt a somber attitude and complete the tasks. (In typical fashion, we've had a lovely evening with an art project, singing and dancing and joking around, but then he can't transition and reign it in when it's time. He's had the same challenge since toddlerhood. He's unable to get serious about his consequence and focus on the task at hand. So when we're all upstairs getting into PJs, and he's supposed to be brushing his teeth, he runs downstairs to get an old musical birthday card he rediscovered today. Argh. Again. Then I order him into the bathroom to have him brush his teeth, and he's squirming around being silly. Again.
The conversation that transpired next was priceless. Not in the "Ahh....Aren't kids so sweet" kind of way, but in the "OMG, how could our brains be wired so differently" kind of way.
Me: Noah, that's it. You already lost story time, now you've lost the opportunity to read to yourself.
Noah: What?!? (acting all shocked)
Me: We've had to redirect you one too many times. You shouldn't need all these reminders to do what's expected.
Noah: But just one too many! (As if he shouldn't have lost a privilege until it was X MORE times too many.)
Who responds that way? Just one time? Yes I suppose I literally said, "one time" when I meant "way too many times," but he knew what I meant! How will such a perspective serve him in the future? There must be some usefulness to his constant negotiating and line dancing. Will he be a hostage negotiator? A contract lawyer? A great judge?
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