Tonight at supper, Pete complained that he didn’t want to eat his squash because he didn’t like squash. Hard for most parents to imagine, I’m sure. I commented, “The parenting books say that if your child says he doesn’t like something, he should try it 15 times before you stop forcing it on him. 15 times!”
Pete made a funny face, laughed, and said “Parenting book?!?!!” thinking that I was pulling his leg that there would actually be A Parenting Book. Apparently, to a 9-year-old, a book on parenting is just a big joke. At which point Debbie, who procures our vast library of parenting books, went and pulled one from the shelf that seemed relevant to the conversation at hand, “Kid Cooperation: How to Stop Yelling, Nagging & Pleading and Get Kids to Cooperate.” … Frankly, with a title like that, I have to admit I’m more with Pete’s “You’re kidding me, right?” reaction. But Debbie turned to one of the 5 pages flagged with Post-It notes, and read a few items from the list, “Reminder Page – Cooperation” [p. 55]. I particularly noticed the next to last one, “Use Humor,” which actually works pretty well with Pete.
I walked in to the bookshelf and grabbed several more off the shelf to show Pete there was actually more than one and then read the titles:
- “Perfect Parenting. Obviously, Daddy’s got this one down pat. Look, there’s even a bicycle on the cover because a perfect parent rides a bicycle.”
- “When We’re in Public, Pretend You Don’t Know Me: Surviving Your Daughter’s Adolescence So You Don’t Look Like an Idiot and She Still Talks to You. … Ok, this one, I think the secret is not to use so many words and you don’t look like an idiot.”
- “101 Essential Tips: Cat Care” [no comment–self explanatory]
- “Kids, Parents, and Power Struggles“
- “and finally, Migraine: The Complete Guide.”
(He finally ate the squash.)