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…
I sense law in your son’s future. Too cute. I have some vitamin C tabs that I use to appease my youngest daughter in similar situations.
I confess that at one point in time, I gave my daughter juice in a medicine dropper just to get her to stop asking for the stuff. Couldn’t they make it taste decent without our kids begging for it? Sheesh! As if we don’t have to be the bad guy about enough stuff already.
This is why we go through a box of band-aids a week.
Ahhh, I gave up keeping them away from the gum along time ago. Every once in awhile when I find gum stuck in the car drink holders or to the bottom of the kitchen chairs, I regret this decision but they are sooo good at wearing me down!
Awww, I miss the twos…….. Precious!
And now you’ve got your little “angler” documented!
Your post made me want to kiss some smooshy cheeks…..
Gah. I feel like all I do is convince J that he can’t have medicine. I know it’s gotta be palatable so kids will take it, but does it really have to be so sweet that that’s all they want? Geeze. So I give him an Altoid when A gets gum and everyone’s happy.
This is funny! I also have crazy converstations with my toddler. It was fun to read your conversation; I can totally imagine how that goes. I do agree with the other commenter that medicine tastes TOO good these days!! I found your site doing a google image search for “Cheerios on the floor”. Crazy, huh?
Having seen that cutie in person, I don’t know how you’ve managed. And, how typical: the doctor’s kid is a bit of a hypo! Mine does something similar for gripe water. His tummy hurts a lot!
Pretty persuasive argument. I might have had to give in on the gum.
Or just give him a popsicle and tell him it’s laced with Tylenol.
When my daughter was too little for gum, I used to just give her a couple of homeopathic chamomile tablets. Cheating, I know, but she was happy. And a little quieter.