We all knew it was going to happen. The day that Baby Bear decided to test his boundaries with dear sweet mama. First of all let me preface by saying this: Baby Bear is a Mama’s Boy through and thorough. If mama isn’t around, it just isn’t fun for him. So for Baby Bear to test me, means that he is growing into is own and becoming *sniff* a big boy.

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ROUND  1
It was Wednesday night and we just got home. Baby Bear and Noodlebug were ready for bed and playing in the kitchen while my husband and I were trying to hold a conversation. Baby Bear comes up to me to ask for more water. I grab the water from the kitchen counter, and ask him to say “please.” Now mind you, he has said please MANY times on several different occasions, so I know he knew the word, and knew what I was asking of him. He looked at me, looked at the water, and then decided that he was not going to say it. He promptly threw himself on the floor and started wailing, pushing his little body with his feet almost as if he was an inchworm moving along the floor. My husband and I looked at each other, he took Noodlebug out of the kitchen, and I followed suit. No audience, no reason for temper tantrum.

He then got up quickly and walked into the other room where we were, made sure I was looking at him, and threw himself down on the floor again, and started all over with the wailing and imitating an inchworm on the floor. We went back into the kitchen, with wailing Baby Bear behind us, and I grabbed the water, and he stopped immediately. No tears, no wailing, just a quick sniff and an expectant look for me to just give him what he worked so hard for. After all throwing a tantrum that big did merit a prize, right?

Ahem, let’s continue:  I asked him to say please again and he looked at me and threw himself back on the floor again, wailing and now adding a roll to it. He ended up throwing something across the room, and I picked him up, brought him upstairs, kissing him good night, and put him to bed. That was the end of that.

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ROUND  2
Or so I thought. About two hours later he woke up crying and thirsty. My mom instincts told me not to fight the “please” battle until morning. So I gave him the water he wanted in the first place he sucked the whole thing down, (Thirsty little guy), and then passed out in my arms with a faint “Aha! I win” smile on his face. Little stinker won that round.

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ROUND  3
When I woke up in the morning I knew I had to make sure Baby Bear said please. Let’s just say if I gave in to him, and let him have anything he wanted, then my role as a respected parent in his world would not be effective. I was ready. I made a beautiful breakfast that morning. Eggs, Fresh organic strawberries cut into bite size pieces the way he likes it, and buttered toast. Yum! Both Noodlebug and Baby Bearwere downstairs and I had given them their milk to sip on. When I put the breakfast out on the table I made sure Baby Bear was paying attention, and asked Noodlebug in a very loud and clear voice, “Noodlebug can you say please?” She promptly said “Please!” and I picked her up, and put her in her chair at the table to eat. Baby Bear got the point. As Noodlebug was shoveling the fresh strawberries in her mouth I picked up Baby Bear to reveal the plate full of his favorite breakfast. He reached for his chair almost tasting those strawberries in his mouth. I then asked him to say please.

He stopped. He looked at me. The defiant smirk came across his sweet little lips. He then started wailing and kicking.

I put him down, told him no, and that he would not eat until he said please. He threw himself down on the floor and did the same number that he did last night. Only this morning he added a little twist to it so it was more of a pilates pose rather than the previous night’s inchworm. Glad to see that Baby Bear is branching out.

Meanwhile Noodlebug and I are at the table enjoying our breakfast as much as we can, eating strawberries and toast, and every now and then glance down at Baby Bear. (Who by the way would stop to watch us eat, but as soon as I turned my head towards him, he would start to wail. Hmmmmmmm.) I would pick him up and kiss him and hug him, tell him how much I loved him, but when he reached for a strawberry, I would ask him for a simple “please” and he refused. Wailing and arching his back. Kicking, and flailing. Ahhh what a beautiful sight in the Byrd’s Nest.

After about 20 minutes or so, I started feeling really guilty. I mean the little guy was so hungry, and all he wanted to do was eat. Perhaps I wasn’t doing the right thing. Maybe my memory of him saying please wasn’t accurate. Was I being a good parent? Is this abusive? At the culmination of these thoughts my dear husband walks downstairs as says, “Are you sure he knows how to say please?” So then I started really second guessing myself. So I prayed.

“God, am I doing the right thing?”

I heard, “Yes you are. Keep going.”

So that is what I did. Noodlebug was still hungry so she asked for yogurt. (Baby Bear’s second favorite breakfast) His little ears perked up when the y-word was mentioned, and he toddled over to the refrigerator with me as I grabbed two yogurts. I asked him if he wanted some, and he smiled and said “yes.” (Actually it sounds more like “doh” from Homer Simpson, but that is his word for yes.) So I brought one for Noodlebug and set the other on Baby Bear’s high chair. I picked him up again, and said, “Say please.” Nope. Not going to do it. The great flailing act continued. This boy is persistant, and knows it. I put him down for him to resume the morning floor show he had been giving us. Noodlebug finished her breakfast, I got her down from her chair, and Baby Bear wanted up in her place. He wanted the yogurt she was eating. Still no please, so no yogurt for him.

As he was now beating his tiny fists on the table, I sat at there  with him frustrated and worried that he might not eat. At least I was giving him milk, so he had something in his stomach. As I sat there, I wondered what he liked that he could not pass up. Then it hit me. Gummy vitamins. They are vitamins but are in gummy form. You can’t beat that!

I asked Noodlebug and Baby Bear if they wanted their vitamins. Both said yes, and I do believe Baby Bear clapped his little hands. I got out the containers and sat at the middle of the table with Noodlebug at one end and Baby Bear at the other. I opened the containers and doled out the right amount for each. I asked Noodlebug to say please and she said it no problem. (I think she enjoyed getting to be the big obedient girl). I then turned to Baby Bear and asked the best cheerful voice I could muster, “Say please.”

“Pleeeeeaaaase!” In perfect clarity my son uttered that priceless word I had been asking for all morning. He gave in. I just about cried I was so relieved. I felt like shouting! I gave him some of his vitamins and he asked for more. I asked him to say please and he said it again no problem, with a big smile on his face. I then asked if he wanted strawberries. He said please. Eggs: Please: toast: Please: Yogurt: please. No problem, perfect clarity, everytime.

After feeding Baby Bear, I ran upstairs swung open the door to my husband’s office waited for him to look at me. As he turned to look, I raised my arms in the air as if I were announced the winner at a boxing match and mouthed those silent words, “YES!!!! I won!” Relieved and happy my son was eating, and that my first real test with him had been successful I couldn’t shout because the kids would hear, but had to share my joy with my husband. 

Mom wins.