Do You Want Bugs...

"Mommy, i gus gus (Gi talk for eyeglasses)."

move over Speed Racer

experimenting with play dough

Hubs does not always use logical interventions and consequences to shape and modify Munch's behavior. This vexes me a little as I always tediously (probably to Gi's annoyance) try to explain to Munch why she should or shouldn't do something. His strategy must have once worked somewhat successfully on Gi so now he employs this parenting technique with Gi whenever he wants her to comply with a certain task that her little two-year mind and body would rather ignore.

Hubs (in an exeraggerated concerned voice): O.k., Gi, do you want bugs to grow in your hair?

Munch: No, Daddy, no!
Hubs: O.k. then, let me quickly shampoo your hair (Munch reluctantly cooperates).

Other ditties hubs uses to pry cooperation out of Munch include:

Let's brush our teeth unless you want bugs to grow in your mouth.

Do you want bugs to grow in your diaper? O.k. then, let's change our diaper now.

Stop playing with your food or the bugs will eat it.

Let Daddy brush your hair or bugs will grow in it.

I think there are bugs in there. Don't touch it, Gi.

Let's take a bath or bugs will come out.

And amazingly, Gi falls for it every single time. Hubs' repeated success has thereby fortified his belief that this strategy must be sound as well as effective. When I rhetorically ask him why he uses the bug line so frequently and if he felt that this was the best way to teach logical consequences, he,very poised, asserts that it's fast and easy to do. Yup, that's my hubby...simplifying child development down to an act of picking up an order from the MacDonald's drive through window---fast and easy. The content may not necessarily be healthy for you but it sure is fast and easy. Oh well, gotta love that man for trying.