I think I love this approach

I'm reading a lovely blog.  I think Celsa put me on to it and I set up a feed for it on dreamwidth.

Today's episode included this lovely approach to negotiating with a 3 year old.  It would have worked brilliilantly for both MsNotaGoth when she was 3.  It might have worked for Sneetch, but he would have gone along in a knowing way - almost but not quite implying that he knew it was just a way for me to get him to do something, but it was good enough for him to let me get away with.

Here it is:

4. I outwitted a three year old! Yesterday when it was time to rush out the door Graham threw a huge crazyperson tantrum over having to wear clothes and wanting me to get away from himmmmm and leave him alllloooone. I fought back and dug in and tried to just overpower him enough to get his dang shoes on. It sucked and I could see the whole day sucking until I had a total Henry Huggins moment! Wait! Little kids act insane because they are insane.

“Hey Annie!” I said, “I’m Jack and the Magic Tree House is waiting for us outside in the parking lot. I just got a note from Morgan LeFey!”

He stopped screaming and sniffled, just like Ramona would’ve. “What does it s-s-say?”

“It says we have a mission! This little bird is under a spell and she needs your help. To break the spell you must gather these four things:
A set of cards from a printer far away
A receipt that shows you know how to pay
A corner-trimming puncher thing
The feather from a bird with a newly-clipped wing
Be wise, be careful, be nice.”

It worked. Instantly, he sighed and wiped his wet, blotchy nose and said “OK. But we got to find the BOOK.”

We found the invisible book on the way to the car and spent the whole day pretending to be on one giant humor-Graham mission.