Our 2-hour standoff

I started to make Matthew's breakfast this morning, a bowl of Special K cereal as per his request, when he suddenly changes his mind and wants a bun instead. My son is starting to become really spoiled lately so in an effort to try and stop it from continuing I said no. I knew it would be a little rough for a while with the whining and screaming but he upped the anty (sp?). We're talking whining, screaming, calling for Daddy since Mommy was being so mean, then snitching to Daddy once he found him, coming back to me crying for a bun, then full-on crying with tears and coughing. It didn't matter how many times I told him he could have the bun after he had some cereal, he was NOT going to back down. Well neither was I, and thus the standoff began.

I offered Mini-Wheats; he said no, "bun". I offered them dry so he can snack on them, he said no, "bun". Then he gave it up to watch TV. But then something would trigger his memory and he'd start crying for the bun all over again. He'd ask me to pick him up, then he'd look me in the eye with his big blue eyes filled with tears and once again ask for a bun. I said no, not til he had some cereal, and he'd start screaming. I put him in his crib to calm down a couple of times, and once he quieted down I'd go in there to talk to him he'd start up again. Grrrr! Finally I told him enough was enough, I was putting some dry Mini-Wheats into the bowl so he could snack on them whenever he wanted. He picks up the bowl, still crying, and walks it into the living room so he could watch the Simpsons. At first he wouldn't touch the bowl of cereal, but it had to sit beside him; when I moved it I got in shit. He calms down a little, we start snuggling, and I see him reach towards the cereal. I smile and say to him "good boy, eat your cereal". He instantly stops and says "no". We continue to watch TV and snuggle and he reaches for it again; this time I only look and smile, he sees me, and puts the cereal back into the bowl. Then he asks for a spoon for his dry Mini-Wheats. I get the spoon, sit down beside him and we watch more TV. I see out of the corner of my eye that he's reaching for the bowl a third time, only this time I wised up and didn't acknowledge he was eating. Sure enough, as long as I didn't acknowledge he was giving in, he'd eat the cereal! I guess even at nearly 2 years of age a man has his pride! After he finished his cereal, he got his bun as promised, and all was well again.