Clever Mummy

Sonny Ma-Jiminy, who still sucks a sheet when he's in bed (or watching TV, or in the car, or hurt, tired or upset ... but that's all), continues to ask me to stop whatever I'm doing and get his sheet for him, when he's perfectly capable of doing it himself.

Suggesting that he does it himself doesn't go down very well, but I've decided that if I refuse to get it, he will learn that it's no use asking me. If he really wants it, he has to get it himself.

However, he never learns, and continues to ask me to get it for him. I continue to refuse, and he continues to throw tantrums. We've got it all worked out.

I often ask him if I stop what I'm doing and go and get his sheet, who will do my job? Who will complete the task I was doing when he interrupted me? He's thought about this dilemma and he knows that it's an issue, but still asks me to get his sheet for him.

Today, I had a win. I was picking up pieces of egg from the kitchen floor under Sonny's chair. It was a gross job, but not one that I was prepared to delay.



SMJ: Mum, can you get my sheet? (Note the absence of 'please'.)

Me: Okay, I will. You can pick up all this egg mess and I'll go and get your sheet. (Pause) OR... I pick up the mess and you get the sheet?

SMJ: You pick up the egg. (Ran off and got sheet by himself.)