No, Thanks!

During the first week of school (a few weeks ago), my son's new class teacher told me this story of my son's behaviour in class:

My son and all the other children in his class were asked to finish some work in their workbooks but when it was time for them to show their work to the teacher and the class, the teacher found that my son did not do a single thing on his book. The teacher then proceeded to ask him why he did not finish his work. And this conversation ensued:

Teacher: Why didn't you finish your work?
My son: I don't want to.
Teacher: You will go now and finish your work.
My son: No, thanks.
Teacher: What are you thanking me for? Go to your table and finish it now!
My son: No, thanks.
Teacher: Do you want me to send you to see the Head Mistress?
My son: No, thanks.

And so the teacher gave up. He's only five after all, so she really didn't think it was necessary to send him to see the Head Mistress. So she asked him to sit at his table and proceeded to teach all the other children some maths while ignoring him completely. My son loves his numbers so he happily followed the lesson from his table but when the teacher gave out cards (probably with some simple sums) for each child to finish and she purposely didn't give one to my son - he started to feel left out. The teacher saw this and she finally gave him his card - and guess what, he did his work "beautifully."

From then on, she has never had any problems with him about his work in class. I guess I do cut a lot of slack for my kids at home, so I'm really, really quite thankful for his new no-nonsense teacher.

My son(s) can be a little stubborn at times but I try to be patient and try to negotiate with them into doing the things that I want. But this back fired when they tried in turn to 'negotiate' with me. Examples:

Tired mum: Come and take your medicine, sayang.

2 Year old: No, I don't want to. (this is his usual statement)

Tired mum: Come on...dia budak pandai (he's a clever boy)

2 Year old: Hmm..(thinking) OK! But not too much! Just a little bit.

Tired mum: Huh?..(eye brows raised)

5 Year old: Mummy, this square is senget! (he was trying to draw a square with his ruler.)

Mum: Really? Then rub it off and do it again.

5 Year old: That's ok, mummy. It's just a little senget.

Mum: Laaaa...(eyes rolling)

Always the negotiators, the both of them.

* SIGH*