You have kids. You know what I’m talking about.
Mommy: “Eat your dinner.”
Delaney: “How ’bout 3 bites of chicken, 2 bites of noodles and 1 bite of corn?” (complete with winning smile)
Mommy: “How ’bout…eat your dinner.”
Delaney: “How ’bout 4 bites of chicken.”
Mommy: (Deep sigh) “Please eat your dinner.”
Delaney: (Imitating Deep Sigh) “So, 3 bites of noodles and then can I be excused?”
(OK….I’m a sucker for the polite request, but….)
Mommy: “Delaney….no more negotiating…just EAT.”
Delaney: (Making her case) “But I don’t like chicken. Can I have more peaches?”
Mommy: (my turn to lobby) “You can have more peaches IF you eat some chicken, noodles and corn.”
Delaney: (Her turn for the deep sigh) “Ok…..3 bites of chicken? Is that enough?”
It is about this point that I feel compelled to leave the table to bang my head repeatedly against the wall. I think they teach the ‘wear you down’ theory in the womb. At least, I’m fairly certain my kids were born with an extra relentless gene.
If you are wondering if she ever eats….sometimes. If there is any type of treat or dessert involved, I win. If she is crabby, over-tired or ‘having a bad day’ (her words) then, we usually skip to the end of the lobbying and let her head upstairs to wind down.
I hope her lobbying skills come in handy in her future. I’m acutally proud of the little thing 
