Manipulating Christmas
| Christmas morning! After a fitful night of semi-sleep, my siblings and I were up at the crack of pre-dawn, racing to the tree to open our bounty. But mom, moving slower than a narcoleptic turtle across a puddle of molasses, had to make my dad coffee first. Then we had to wait for her to cook breakfast.
"Can we each open just one small present while you make breakfast please we love you mom happy holidays!?" NO.
We scarfed that food like it was the best thing we ever tasted. Most likely we didn't taste it. Or pause to chew, for that matter. "Okay we're ready let's open some presents!"
NO, we need to clean up the kitchen first. You never saw three kids so enthusiastic about washing, drying, and putting away dishes. "Yay Merry Christmas lets open some presents now yay!"
Are your beds made? "Can we look in our stockings first?" NO. Flurry of bed making activity that would make any 5-star hotel roomservice weep with envy. "Now make sure you all brush your teeth." You get the idea...
FINALLY! Gather around the tree, kids! You may open... your cards first. And on it went like this. Score: Mom 1, Kid's Willpower 0.
My mom was a subtle master of psychologically capitalizing on any moment in a way that tortured her children into doing her bidding. Looking back at Christmases Past, I am reminded of what a genius she was! It all comes into focus as an adult after raising kids of my own. If I want to get my kids to do something without them realizing it, I needed only look to the example of Yoda, er I mean my mom.
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