SELLING IT

The latest in Allegra's repertoire of tools for getting whatever she wants, is the pout. This is a professional pout too - none of those amateur tantrum screams or loud carrying on (that only frustrates a parent). The moment I have to raise my voice even the slightest, so that she knows I'm serious when I say she can't stab the wooden kitchen table with a fork (I know, I'm a jerk), this is about how it goes:

Instantly, she drops her head to facing straight down at her belly, and without a peep. She just let's it hang there, silently, in protest. After a few moments, she will very slowly start to wander off - away from the scene of the horrible injustice. Oh, and she sells it too - she keeps a perfectly even gait as she slooooowly exits left.

Should you try to run after her to console and explain the situation, she'll waive a dainty arm in your face and sadly say, "No dad." Nothing but a measured response to tug at your heart-strings (especially when you're the daddy that she has wrapped around her little finger).

If you go the other route, and let her wander off to have her own time for a few moments, and then go in after her a couple minutes later... Yeah, she'll be acting totally normal as you walk into the room she's in - that is, until she sees that you're there, and her head goes straight down again and the whole thing starts over.

This little two and a half year old princess knows what she's doing. I can only imagine how this will be perfected over the next 14 years. I shudder at the thought.