Testing The Boundaries

We are going through the stage with our little one where the answer to every question is a resounding “No.” She has discovered her own power in this little word and is riding it for all it is worth.

Of course I know that she doesn’t really mean “no” to most of the questions. She is testing the boundaries and just wants to see what happens when she says it.

“Daddy eat” she says.
“Oh, would you like some lunch?”
“No.”
“Daddy drink.”
“Would you like a drink?”
“No.”
“Daddy poo.”
“Have you done a poo?”
“No.”
“Then what is that brown thing in your nappy?”
“No poo.”
“OK then.”
…..and on and on and on.

The only things she says “yes” to are “Do you want to go to the park?” or “Would you like a cookie (or cake)?”  I have even tried to incorporate two questions in one using one of the “yes” questions with a “no” question (are you confused yet?).

“Would you like to have lunch and then go to the park?”
“Park, yes park.”
“OK then let’s have some lunch.”
“No no no no….park!”
She then goes on about the park so much that I have to take her there regardless as to whether or not she has had any lunch so that is not working out for me very well at all.

I have also tried using things that I know she likes to get the appropriate response.

“How about we have some cheese for lunch today?”(she loves cheese)
“Cheese, cheese, cheese…!”
“OK let’s have some cheese.”
“No.”
“What, no cheese?”
“No.”
“Hmmnnn.”

You are probably thinking that I give our two year old way to much credit in the understanding department and I must admit that I had the same thoughts until this morning when I tried to trick her by re-wording the question.

Every morning we read her a story in our bed and this morning she came into our bed holding her favourite book. “Would you like me to read you a story?”
“No”
“No?”
“No”
“OK then would you like me to not read you a story?”
There was a slight pause while she thought about the appropriate answer.

“Yes! “she says with a big grin.

Little bugger got me again…..