When kids wise up

Parents are known for going to any length necessary in order to get their stubborn kids to comply, even with everyday tasks. And when you have a kid like Todd, you have to get pretty creative.

One of my more trying endeavors is to get Todd's teeth brushed before bed. It's usually pretty hard to pry him away from Opa and drag him into the bathroom. Recently, I found I had some success by using Geronimo the stuffed turtle. Todd seemed much more willing to listen to Geronimo's command of "brush your teeth!" and even had fun pretending to brush the turtle's teeth before I brushed Todd's. All was well for the next few days.

Alas, like most tricks, Todd quickly got wise to this one, as evidenced last night. While I tried to cajole him, I made the turtle say: "Come on, you can brush my teeth!"

Todd's reply? "You do it by yourself! Mommy can teach you!"