The Master Manipulator

In case you don't know, the by isn't allowed to watch Scooby Doo. He seems fine while watching and then later at bedtime, he obsesses about monsters and won't go to sleep. He hasn't watched Scooby in over a year, but that doesn't mean he doesn't try to see at every possible opportunity. Here are just a few of the ways he has tried to manipulate others into letting him watch the show:

• said to daddy, 'Let's watch Scooby Doo, Mommy's not here, so she won't know.'
• constant asking of grandma when she watches him, guess he's unaware that grandma knows it's not okay.
• convincing a close adult friend who didn't know about the rule that Scooby Doo was not too scary. This friend actually put the video in and when I walked in the look on the boys face said it all.

Of course there are many others, this however is my favorite so far, and has me thinking that we might actually try to watch it again.

While having breakfast Evan starts the conversation by saying, 'I've never seen a real monster, you know for real.'
I contemplate this and tell him that's because there aren't any real monsters. He considers this and then comes back with, 'I wish there was a video that you could show me about monsters, so I could see them.'
Again I tell him there isn't a video of real monsters because they aren't real. I'm just trying to get him to understand that there isn't a reason to be afraid of something that doesn't exist. He doesn't say anything for a while, so I think that we are done, problem solved.
Finally he says,'Well how come all those people always dress up like monsters on Scooby Doo? I think we should watch some Scooby Doo so that I can see some monsters.'
Seriously, I didn't see this coming, but I'm sure what he was hoping for was for me to say, 'Well if there was a video of monsters, I'd let you watch that.' Since this plan didn't work he had to reveal his hand. I have no idea how he came up with this logic, but it seems reasonable that if he can create such an intelligent argument, he might be ready to watch the show again. I keep waiting for him to win one of these and turn around and say,'You just got lawyered', but it hasn't happened yet. All I have to say is beware those who underestimate the intelligence of this child.