Like most toddlers, Charlie loves to bang objects on the table. While eating, he bangs his spoon, fork, sometimes even his plate. While playing, he bangs anything and everything on the coffee table. When Charlie bangs something, we take the opportunity to teach him about consequences. Generally, we say something like, “Charlie, if you bang your spoon again, we are going to take it away.” His typical response is to look at us, smile and then lightly tap his spoon on the table. Of course, we immediately take his spoon away and he pours on the fake cry for a few seconds.
Today he took it to the next level. This morning I gave him oatmeal and a banana for breakfast, per his request. He also asked for not one, but two spoons. I happily obliged. We sat down at the table to eat. After eating a few bites he began to bang one of the spoons on the table. I told him that I would take it away if he banged it again. He did. I took it away. He moved on to the next spoon and started banging it on the table. Again, I told him I would take it away if he banged it again. He did. I took it away. The same thing happened with his sippy cup and with his bowl of oatmeal, until he had nothing left in front of him to bang.
I thought I had outsmarted my little man, but I was wrong. He was silent for about a minute and I could tell he was drumming up some kind of plan. He looked at me, smiled and then started banging his hands on the table. Then he stopped, picked up his hands and leaned over to me as if to say, “here are my hands, are you going to take these away?”
I’ll leave you with an almost completely unrelated picture: Charlie and his cousin Syd jamming. Stay tuned for their first single, I Outsmarted Mommy.
I love this story! That is hilarious. What a smart little guy….why am I not surprised?