I don’t know exactly how it started, but at some point Rhett (2) associated medicine with gum.
When his older brothers ask for gum and I agree, Rhett starts pleading for medicine. I am sure at some point in the history of Rhett I must have doled out Tylenol for teething pain in the same hour that his brothers received gum. For some reason the connection stuck. Really stuck.
Rhett has always had a complex about how mean I am for now allowing him gum at his tender age. In his mind he is five…so what is the big deal? I think that his revenge is this medicine plea which quite honestly may require my mental institutionalization in the near future.
This is a sample conversation. Please remember the child is 2:
Brothers: Mom can we have gum?
Me: yes.
Rhett: Gum?
Me: No.
Rhett: Medicine?
Me: No.
Rhett: My mouth hurt. Medicine?
Me: No.
Rhett: My toe hurt. Medicine?
Me: No.
Rhett: My arm hurt. Medicine?
Me: No sweetie, I am not giving you medicine today.
Rhett: I fell at Target (points to head). Medicine?
Me: No. We didn’t go to Target today.
Rhett: I fell at Peter Piper Pizza (points to toe). Medicine?
Me: No. We haven’t been to Peter Piper Pizza for a month.
Rhett: I fell at Chuckeee-Cheeeeeee (points all over). Medicine?
Me: No. I told you that I am not giving you medicine today. You are fine.
Rhett: Ryan hit me (big blue eyes looking up with tears pooling). Medicine?
Me: No. Your brothers are in the other room. No one hit you.
Rhett: Reid kick me (lower lip trembles). Medicine?
Me: NO! Rhett, your brothers haven’t hurt you. I repeat. I am not giving you medicine. For any reason. Anytime today. None.
Rhett: Gum?
He has very convincing argument. To date I have stood strong in my resolve. But he is wearing me down.
I cannot say that a jury of his peers would be so rock solid which is why I am keeping him away from any ambulence chasers. That falling in public story coupled with the big blue eyes filling with tears would sway even the toughest judge…
Does your son realize he will have a future in show business? That was almost Abbott and Costello-y. Hey, I see you are a fan on Stumbleupon. I will add you as a friend (or something – I’m still trying to figure out how that all works)
Wow.. way to stay strong. I must admit, I probably would have given in with the bum toe bit.
Just found you blog… very funny, I’ll be back.. (that sounds a little creepy doesn’t it?)
Wow, Rhett certainly is persistent! What a funny connection that he’s made between gum & medicine. Ok, maybe not so funny, but amusing to read about nonetheless. Thanks for visiting my humble little slice of bloggerdom! I came over to return the comment love. I’ll be back! 🙂
I’ve got a persistent boy, too.
It’ll be good for him one day.
Strange associations are hard to break. My son calls tennis shoes ‘fly sketchers’. Hmmmm. I dunno.
oh too funny! he’s quite persistent, eh? that’s good for him – with end in mind! he’ll be very goal oriented. 🙂
he does sounds like he fell alot… lol.
Oh the conversations like this to wear me out! Can’t you give him something that he “thinks” is medicine. Maybe some whiskey and he can go down for a nice, long nap… Oh, just kidding! ; )
He is a master negotiater! I don’t know how much longer you can hold out!
My son loves medicine, too. Although he is not associating it with anything else – like gum, he does like it a little too much. And asks for it frequently.
I’ve always had a bottle of Hylands Teething Tblets on hand for these emergencies…Whenever the girls are ill, Snorkie must be medicated too. On the other hand, he’s three and does a great job with gum…never swallows…just spits it out in my hand!
Blessings, E
Rhett is going to grow up to be the unintended comedian in the family it sounds like. The stories you tell about him are so funny…
You sure it wasn’t all that coaxing of Benadryl when you needed one of the three boys to sleep? bwahahahhahaha….I know you wouldn’t do that…