Thursday, January 5, 2006

The Art of Manipulation

16 months. It's that age where kids have just begun to know what makes you tick. And Jesse knows.

"If I cry like this, maybe they'll let me flick that light switch a couple of times. Ah yes, it works. Suckers!!! Maybe if I cry some more, they'll let me fire up the gas stove."

And pretty soon, your kid is operating heavy machinery.

Fortunately for us, Jesse is a pretty lousy actor. You can actually see right through his fakery. He'd pull his face into twisted, convoluted expression of sorrow and let out the most fake-ish cry. For effect he might even crouch over some low furniture, striking a pose of tragic melancholy, resting his brow upon his forearm. Somedays the little monkey would even struggle to generate a crocodile tear or two. And somedays, he'd actually succeed.

How do kids know exactly what to do to get their own way? It boggles the mind. Do they learn this along the way? Or did the Art of Manipulation come with their original programming? This is a serious bug in the software.

For parents, the only recourse is a system re-boot. Though a boot to the butt is probably just as effective.

20 comments:

  1. eh james, the skill probably came from his genes lah.

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  2. hope Bob's entertaining....

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  3. *Agrees with Yvonne*
    Bad acting skills like the dad? *Hides*

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  4. We are experiencing it too. But I think it is solely influenced by how parents act towards their cry.
    My son can manipulate his daddy, but with me, he would have to act more mature b4 he gets whatever he wants. And, I think he knows it... ;)

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  5. no matter how bad their "art" is... we will still succumb to their wishes :P

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  6. when ur wife wants a tiffany, she gives u the puppy eyes, manja manja face, lau gai lau gai a bit... and u get her the tiffany :P
    same wif kids! akakkakaakak!!!

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  7. Waa...and I thought only my cat does this manipulation shit. Heh.

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  8. Bah.. My Son is already doing it at 11 months!!! HELP~~~~~!!!!

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  9. ehehehe tell jesse ill come give lessons on how to manipulate better ;) hehehe
    am always on jesse's side ;)

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  10. ehh.. I mean 'human' instinct..

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  11. it happens everywhere, must be animal instinct..

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  12. hehehe!! my brat is exactly like that..! crocodile tears and all. just to get her way.. hah!

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  13. I can't help but think : SOMEDAY, Jesse is gonna be reading this. :D!

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  14. me thinks these smart babies have aliens who've been observing us for gazzillion of centuries..and they're interested in making parents jump through hoops.. and do all sorts of funny things until these kids grow up and have kids of their own. then.. they "possess" the next generation of kids... :P
    ha ha ha.. sorry me.. wonky this morn'

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  15. Genes eh, Minishorts? Must be from Mommy! :)
    Indeed he was, Husband. Though I suspect, I was more entertained than Jesse. Thanks again.
    Not at all Yvonne. Daddy is an award-winning thespian. Bwahahah.
    Ah Buaya, there IS a club!
    Methinks Daddy shall have to educate the Son in ways of drama, Silly Pat!
    Good on you Geetha. I guess Daddies are easier to manipulate.
    Indeed, Egghead. And the kids know it. *sigh*
    :lol: Good point, Oli. Now it's confirmed where the kid got it from.
    Ah, Anjali. So I guess you would be well-versed in parenthood by default! :lol:
    Wow Chiwi, you have a fast learner on your hands.
    Daddy O never gets anything his way, AhPink!
    Yes you are. When he grows into a monkey I'll send him your way, Visithra!
    I'm glad you corrected yourself, Jee. :lol:
    I guess we'll just have to live with the fact that we can't win this one, MamaBok!
    Hah! I know RaZZie. By then I hope he'll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed blogging it.
    Just as I suspected, PaulOS!

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  16. you suspected the aliens.. or me being wonky?

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  17. James, at 7, my boyfriend's nephew does the same thing. Crying one minute and the next smiling. Know what they do? Either ignore him OR talk some sense into him - both works!

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