It’s always interesting to watch the logic of children when they’ve been asked to do something unpleasant, like clean up toys or eat vegetables. Kid logic is the most pure example of our resistance to the things we know we need to do but put barriers in our own path to doing.
If you ask a child to put away their toys they might:
- Begin playing with the toys “for one more minute”
- Explain that it’s not fair because brother/sister didn’t put away their toys
- Sulk and put away one Lego brick at a time, ensuring it’ll take 73 years to finish
- Ask for water. To go potty. For a Kleenex. A hug. To go outside
- Ignore you while reading a book because books are good so you can’t get mad
All the while, you fume and cajole in the face of the frustration that can only be brought by a toddler.
Except… we’re all toddlers.