When our 2½ year old grand daughter becomes petulant I've learned that diversion is a great instrument. Two weeks ago when it was time for her to leave our home and return home with her mother, and she refused to move, refused to put her shoes on, would not allow anyone near her to put her shoes on all this while weeping disconsolately, I said, "Maybe it's time for us to sing?"
She said, "NO!"
Hoooowww abouuuut "Twinkle, Twinkle?"
"NO!"
How about "Humpty Dumpty?"
"NO!"
Hoooowwww abbouuuuut "The Itsy Bitsy Spider?"
"NO!"
Her no's became more and more strident with each answer. Thirty songs later and at the end of my Ariana repertoire, I said sarcastically, "Well, how about "Rock-a My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham" and that's about it for me."
She said, "How about "Rock-a My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham". Husband and daughter snickered, and so I launched into it -- not as well as Alvin Ailey's group -- but the crying stopped. She allowed me to put her shoes and jacket on -- a happier child.
Would it were so easy that the world's ills could be so easily mollified.
