Training Joshua - I'm a baby

Since Caleb came into this house, Joshua has wanted at times to be a "baby" like Caleb. In an attempt to get attention, he will do various things to prove that he is a baby, including: put a pacifier in his mouth and cry (he quit using a pacifier when he was 12 months old), try to sit in Caleb's baby car seat, attempt to sit in Caleb's swing, sit in Caleb's baby walker, and even climb in Caleb's high chair and sit to wait on baby food to be fed to him.

Well, today I decided to help Joshua understand that being a baby was not always a desirable thing to be. When Joshua crawled in his brother's highchair, I proceeded to tell him that once in the highchair, he could not get out. He said, "I'm a baby." I said, "Well, okay, but babies can't get out of the highchair." He said, "I'm a baby."

I then said, "Well, babies eat baby food in the highchair." He said, "eat food." So, I said, "okay."

I then went and grabbed some leftover over oatmeal cereal and pears I had fed Caleb this morning, and put a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in it. I then, mixed it up really good and then presented it to Joshua.

I said, "Okay, here's that baby food for that baby." He said, "eat food; I'm a baby." So, I fed him a spoonful. After some comical expressions on his part, he swallowed the food and said, "yum." I thought, "well, maybe this isn't going to work after all."

So, I reached for another spoonful. Joshua in turn shook his head "no" and clamped his mouth closed. I smiled and said, "no, open up, this food is for the baby, and you're a baby. Open up." After a little convincing, I managed to get him to open his mouth and eat another spoonful.

Well, he gagged, choked, and squinted, but he managed to get that second spoonful down. He then said, "all done," to which I replied, "oh, you're not a baby anymore; you're a big boy?" He said, "big boy." I again said, "so are you a baby?" He said, "no, big boy."

I then, let him down and sent him on his way. He hasn't wanted to get back in that highchair all afternoon, and he still says he's a big boy. He says he's no longer a baby. :)

Yeah, I laughed too.