what i've learned in the past few weeks

1. If I bribe Pepe with a future activity, I need to hold up to the bribery. Otherwise, the boy will hold me up to it.

After school Pepe and I stopped at the "new crosswalk" on Gray street, so that Pepe could use it. Pepe pressed the button twice and stopped the traffic twice. He wanted to keep doing this, but I got to embarrassed - it was rush hour, and people wanted to get back home, not get stuck at a traffic light because a little boy enjoys pressing the button.. So in order to get Pepe back in the car and stop the oh ho huge tears, I mentioned that "Maybe daddy will take you back later, when there aren't these many cars". So after dinner, Pepe asked Chris to go see the crosswalk. Chris said no. Pepe came to me and started yelling: "Mom, but you said so, you said I see the crosswalk with daddy". Well, I can't expect a 3 y old to remember the word "maybe" in a sentence that involve crosswalks..So crosswalk again it was!

2. I can't even spell "crosswalk" in front of Pepe - he knows what I mean.

3. The boy will do anything, I mean anything to delay: a. getting to bed ("I need a snack", "i need to eat at the table", "I need to get a drink", I need this, and that) and b. going to school ("I don't want to", :"we have to see the crosswalk", "I want to eat my waffle", "I want to...", "I am not ready").

4. The boy will press and press, push and push to get his way. It's like pain patients who want drugs, they harass and harass until they convince you that they need their narcotics and you let yourself be convinced out of pure exhaustion.

5. Rules for others do not apply to him.

P: "I don't like L., he hits, bites and scratches".
AM: Does C hit?
P. No
AM: Do you like C?
P: Yes, he is my best friend. Sure, I like him.
AM: So you like boys who are nice and don't hit.
P: Yes, sure.
AM: Do you bite?
P: No
AM: Do you hit?
P: Sure, sometimes.
AM: Why?
P: I hit B because he had my toy.
AM: Does B want to play with you?
P: Sure, yes.
AM: Are you sure? I would not want to play with a boy that hits.
P: Sure, yes, he plays. I get the toy. It's good. Sure.

6. When there are kids around ('my friends') parents become secondary, or better nonexistant.

7. If I want Pepe to leave a playground I need to stick together with the parent of the child Pepe plays with, and set a common timeframe for the boys.

8. I need to have an appealing snack in the car at all times - otherwise it may take forever to get Pepe back in the car without screaming.