The N Word

My son loves to say "NO." He enunciates and puts a lot of force into it!

He is proficient with "I NOT" and "I NEED!," as well.

Shane's no game is to tell you one thing, wait for you to react, and then immediately tell you the opposite. He cries and whines if Daddy doesn't switch gears.

This can make for an interesting game of back and forth where everyone loses. I ask Shane what he wants. He tells me one thing. I parrot Shane for clarification. Shane tells me another thing. I parrot Shane's new request. Shane gets upset. He may tell me the first thing; he may tell me the second thing. Sometimes he just throws a tantrum and I'm left wondering.

I can be stubborn, too. Typically, once Shane repeats a command after I ask for clarification: that's what I go with. If Shane says "I need banana!" and I open it, I don't accept "I NOT!" He may cry, but until he eats a couple of bites I don't let him run off ("You asked for a banana. You need to eat.")

Yesterday, we drove by the library.

I asked Shane, "Do you want to go to the library?"

"I NOT!"

"What was that? Do you want to go to the library?"

"I NOT! I NOT go to the the library!"

That sounded clear as day to me. It also sounded like the complete opposite of what Shane really wanted, but I went with it.

"Okay. I hear you. We no go to the library."

Shane waited until we passed the turn to start crying. "THAT WAY! LIBRARY! LIBRARY!"

"Shane, you said 'I not go to the library.'"

More tears.

"Say what you mean next time," and I kept driving.

We're definitely in "the terrible twos." It's still a lot more fun, because Shane can communicate. It will be even more fun for him when he learns that saying "no" is a way to communicate and not a game unto itself.

I'm also trying to get him to say "I am not."

Daddy grammar police.*

*(Yes, I know I used bad grammar when talking to Shane earlier, but you have to speak so the child understands! Baby steps...baby steps...)