A Deal's a Deal

As parents, we make deals all the time.  We make deals with our husbands ("You put the kids to bed and I'll do the dishes.")  We make deals with ourselves ("If I can make it through ten more minutes of this godforsaken sing-along album without screaming, I will reward myself with a VERY full glass of wine after bedtime.")  We sometimes even make deals with God ("If You help me through the last five minutes of this album without having to be committed, I will do charity work tomorrow- ALL day!")


Tonight, my husband and I made a deal with our three-year-old.  She was almost falling asleep on the couch at about 7:30 after a full day of swimming and playing and fun!  She requested that I put her to bed, so i said, "Sure!"  I figured it would be a ten minute process tonight.  I put the baby to bed and came out expecting to find M fully pajama'd and vitamin'd up and ready for her story then sleep.  Instead, she was holding the Uno cards, and she and my husband were asking if we could all play one game before bed.  Here's where the deal comes in.  I said, "Sure, but then Daddy has to put you to bed, because I have to finish the laundry." (i.e. watch a tivo'd show from the weekend.)  OK, OK, OK!  Sure! Sure! Sure!  Excitement abounded!  So, we played Uno.  And we played Uno.  And we played Uno some more.  I really do think this game would be a strong contender for world's longest running Uno game.  I had to shuffle the pick-deck three different times!  


Needless to say, an hour plus later, when it came time for bed and for the deal to come to completion, she buckled.  In her sheer exhaustion, she wailed for, "My Mommy!  I miss My Mommy!  I want My Mommy!"  etc., etc., etc.  I would have buckled, too.  Except that we made the deal.  So, my husband and i had a little side bar conversation to decide what to do.  Neither of is so rigid that we can't break a deal.  Yet, neither of us likes to give in.  Especially when we had warned her several times at the deal making that we were sticking to it.  But, it was after 9, and i really wanted to watch my show and go to bed.  So, we decided to move forward with the deal.  She screamed a bit, but they're reading a story now, so all is well.  And the deal was kept in tact.  


And then I got all comfortable on the couch, satisfied with my parenting success of the night and excited to watch my show, only to find that it had never recorded.  It is not 'on demand' yet.  boo.  now, i would have rather given in and read her a story.  Such is life!