I have often employed the tactic of offering the Princess, unpalatable choices, for example, she will say “I don’t want to go out†and I will reply “well, it’s either go out or go for a nap; you decideâ€. She is then temporarily stuck and I use the pause to press home my advantage. She seems to be getting the hang of this game, though. The other day she asked me to read her a story as I was getting Daniel out of the bath. “I can’t†I said. “Well, it’s either read me a story or get a smack; you decideâ€. I should point out that although she personally is a big fan of corporal punishment, we have never smacked the Princess, though we have often been tempted. She does not appear to have imbibed our values and believes in the “spare the rod and spoil the child†maxim, particularly, insofar as it applies to her brothers.
