I don’t know exactly how it started, but when Rhett was 2, he started associating gum with medicine.
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 was 2:
Brothers: Mom can we have gum?
Me: yes.
Rhett: Gum?
Me: No.
Medicine?
No.
My mouth hurt. Medicine?
No.
My toe hurt. Medicine?
No.
My arm hurt. Medicine?
No sweetie, I am not giving you medicine today.
I fell at Target (points to head). Medicine?
No. We didn’t go to Target today.
I fell at Peter Piper Pizza (points to toe). Medicine?
No. We haven’t been to Peter Piper Pizza for a month.
I fell at Chuckeee-Cheeeeeee (points all over). Medicine?
No. I told you that I am not giving you medicine today. You are fine.
Ryan hit me (big blue eyes looking up with tears pooling). Medicine?
No. Your brothers are in the other room. No one hit you.
Reid kick me (lower lip trembles). Medicine?
NO! Rhett, your brothers haven’t hurt you. I repeat. I am not giving you medicine. For any reason. Anytime today. None.
*pause*
Gum?
Okay, I think the solution to this would have been to give him some reeeeaaaaalllly nasty cough syrup or something just once. Nip it in the bud.Children’s Tylenol just tastes too good. Like Dimetapp used to. My godson would ask for Dimetapp all the time. Tasted like grape Kool-Aid.
Of course I am saying ALL of this as the mommy who WASN’T there with Rhett at the time so I can be all smart and certain and superior and stuff. Also, I just advocated giving your child cough syrup for no apparent reason than to shut him up. Please don’t call CPS on me.