Mind Games and Tomfoolery

Somewhere along the way, the "terrible twos" gained quite a bit of notoriety.  I admit, two-year-olds are a selective, picky group that can be easily disgruntled.  But, I believe the really terrible thing about two, is that it leads to three.

If you are unfamiliar with the 3-year-old crowd, let me introduce you. They are a dramatic, tempermental little "gang" that insist you meet their demands instantaneously, yet have no idea what they want.  They will fight anything and everything, without logic or reason.  When Noah was two, I knew I had the upper hand.  At three, I would be lucky to just find the "hand".  They have an arsenal of methods they use to drive you to the point of madness, but there is one method in which Noah has earned a PhD.

Delay of Sleep

Children of this age are notorious for doing anything to postpone their bedtime.  Here is how Noah does it:

Me: OK. Time to go to sleep.
N: But Mama, I so cold.  (Chatters teeth, on purpose).  I need blanket.
Me:  Ok, just a min-
N: Mama!  Wow!!  I not cold no more, I sooo warm!! (Takes arms out from under blanket, since he is so warm now)
Me: Okay...Why don't we stop talking so you can go to sleep?
N: But Mama, I itchy!  I need you itch my belly!
Me: (Scratching very itchy belly)
N: Oh, Mama, you so silly! You tickled me! (Tries to start a tickle fight.)
Me: Let's try to be quiet now, ok?
N: But, I need a new bed.
Me: Why?
N: The dragons.
Me: Yeah?
N:  They squishy.
(Me giving the silent treatment since I haven't a clue what to do about squishy dragons.)
N: Mama!.......Mama!........MAMA!!! Something push me!!
Me: Nothing pushed you.  I was sitting right here.
N: No, something push me.  (Points to blanket)
Me: Well, here let's just take that blanket off. (Blanket off.)
(Thirty second pause)
N: Mama?..... Mama?.........Mama?.......MAMA.MAMA.MAMA.MAMA.MAMA
Me: What Noah?
N: I soooo cold again! (Teeth chatter...again). I need blanket.

(Repeat 3x's)

Notice the drama?  All that, just to delay sleep.  I have actually witnessed this boy holding his eyelids open with his fingers because he "Wants not go to sleep.".  Lord help me if this boy ever gets ahold of something containing caffeine.

Now, this sort of incident could easily have taken place with a two-year-old, but notice Noah's persistence in the fact that this conversation went around three times.  Persistence is what I believe
separates the two's from the three's.  Although, two-year-old's can probably throw a better tantrum, tantrums can lead to sleep.  Sleep does not occur when dealing with the mind games or tomfoolery that exist in a three-year-olds repertoire.  They play to win.