Scary Costume Magic

"A two year old is kind of like having a blender, but you don't have a top for it."  Jerry Seinfeld

Is your toddler a whirling dervish of energy, mischief and non-compliance?

Well, this Momma's got the cure:  How Costumed Characters Will Get Your Toddler to Listen to You!

Warning:  The following recommendation may cause hefty therapy bills (for your child) down the road. 

I took Middle and Baby to a locally-owned bookstore to meet Diego and Boots this past weekend.  (Yeah, I know, random.  Why not Dora and Boots?  Or Diego and Baby Jaguar?  Beats me.) 

The 3 of us were the first to arrive, even before the store employees had a chance to throw on the costumes guests of honor.  This gave me a chance to browse (I ended up buying this and this) while Middle and Baby methodically pulled books off the shelves perused the goods in the children's section.

Finally, Diego and Boots came traipsing out.  We were quite a distance away, but lemme tell ya, as soon as Baby spotted them, his entire little body began quivering and quaking in fear.  He scurried up the front of me, screaming, "Buh-bye.  Go buh-bye NOW" over and over again as I held him.  So because I didn't want to cheat Middle out of a photo op getting to see them up close, I set Baby down on a little stepstool, where he rigidly remained, chocolate cookie in hand, shaking and sobbing and chanting, "Buh-bye, buh-bye, buh-bye..."

Now, I had changed a poopy diaper of Baby's just before we left the Trenches.  When I picked him up to leave the bookstore, he had pooped again.  Yep, Diego and Boots scared the crap out of him.  Literally.

But get this:  This incident has actually been 100% effective in getting Baby to listen to me these days!  If he doesn't do what I say, I simply threaten him that we're getting in the car to go see Diego and Boots RIGHT NOW.  (Are you getting a clear sense of his future therapy bills?)

Summary:  Unintentionally scaring the shit out of a Terrible Two-year old gives Mommy some leverage (and blog fodder!) 

Comments

[Fairly Odd Mother]

Boy, can I relate!

My oldest LOVES anything in a costume and my younger two are petrified. We just went to a Holiday party in town and I had a 3 & 4 year old literally trying to climb my body like a cat climbs a tree b/c Santa, Ernie and Big Bird were walking toward them. Jilly spent the entire party eyeing a person in a monkey costume, asking, "Is the monkey going to come over here? Is the monkey going to come over here?" Sigh. I guess we won't see Disney for a few more years.

[MamaLee]

OMG, what a riot! Well, not the poop part, but you are right - it's magic, and I'd use it for as long as possible! My kids never really got scared of a character. Yet. But I've pooped in MY pants a few times, but we won't talk about that. Something to do with meeting Donny Osmond, but that's for another day... lol

[Alex Elliot]

I'll have to remember that tip for my younger one. He was terrified of Santa last weekend. Fortunately I didn't have to change a diaper afterwards, though!

[Kristi]

I'm going to need to try that. My two year old is prime-time non compliant!