Sunday, March 16, 2008

Every parent knows that "no" is the power word.
For the rooster, it goes way beyond that. A reflex, a tick, a habit, a delaying tactic, a script, a power word; it means no, it means yes, it means, "yes, but..." He sprinkles it liberally over his salad of scrambled language. Don't think you can imagine how often he uses the word, because you will underestimate. Here is the general gist of it...

Me: Rooster, you are building a great tower!
Rooster: No, that's not a tower, that's a BLUE tower. (It IS a blue tower.)

Me: I see a dog!
Rooster: No, that's not a dog! (It IS a dog.)

Me: Time to turn off the TV, rooster.
Rooster: No! (Then he turns it off.)

Me: I saw you playing with your Batman toy today. You sure do like your Batman toy.
Rooster: NO! I do like Batman, Mommy! MMMMmmm! (special "no" grunting pout noise inserted)
Me: You don't? You don't like Batman?
Rooster: NO!
Me: Daddy, rooster says he doesn't like Batman any more! Can you believe that?
Rooster: No! I like Batman! No, mommy, I LIKE BATMAN! Stop it mommy. I DO NOT LIKE THAT.

Me: Do you want some of my chicken?
Rooster: NO! (He then takes all of my chicken.)

Me: Rooster, good job! You are riding the tricycle! Good job!
Rooster: No, mommy, this is NOT a tricycle. This is MY tricycle. It is not YOUR tricycle.

Me: Peaches, do you want to wear your pink dress to the party?
Rooster: NO! Peaches doesn't have a pink dress. She doesn't have it. No, Peaches, you do not have a pink dress. You have a blue dress, okay, Peaches? You wear a blue dress, okay? (She DOES have a pink dress. She does not have a blue dress.)

Me: Rooster, let's go this way.
Rooster: No, mommy, let's go the OTHER way. I want to go the other way.
Me: Okay, let's go the other way, then. That sounds good.
Rooster: No, mommy, NOT THAT WAY! AHHHH! AHHHH!

Me: Rooster, you say "no" a lot. Can you say anything else?
Rooster: No, mommy. You stop talking. You be quiet.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

honestly, I've had more than 3/4 of those conversations with my 3 yr old NT son. His favorite is to ask for food. then when I go to get it out he shouts "NO I DON'T WANT IT!" So as I put it away he starts to bawl and shout "I DO WANT IT" I get it out again and start to hand it to him and again I get a "NO, I WANT TO GET IT MYSELF" ugh!

Niksmom said...

I know I shouldn't laugh but this was humorous (since I am not currently LIVING IT). That's a pretty typical developmental phase isn't it?

Christine said...

Yeah, I'm with graceunderautism -- we have those conversations all the time around here and it is rarely with Oliver!! I just ordered Sami a pair of summer shoes. He was disappointed when Oliver's came first and I kept reassuring him that his were coming. His response: "They are NOT coming in the mail! The mailman is NOT going to bring them."

Uh. OK?!!?

Joeymom said...

Sounds likes my 3-year-old. We have had these EXACT conversations, only substitute "dinosaur" for "batman".

He isn't autistic.

Isn't it nice to have some "normal" problems?

KAL said...

You know, this sounds an awful like one of my boys. I think sometimes that he's struggling to get the right words out and always picks the wrong ones. A processing difficulty? Or, perhaps it really is a typical toddler development like graceunderautism said. In which case hurray! (and thanks for making me smile, this post? funny :)