Debating with the Chatty Chatty Princess

Apparently I have a slow learning curve. You would think that as a professionally trained lawyer that I would be better equipped for arguments with my four-year old, but she clearly has the upper-hand. Her imagination and shifting conceptions of reality have left me flummoxed.

I wave the white flag for the Chatty Chatty Princess.

The last several days have offered two glittering examples of the vastly superior reasoning she wields over me.

1. For the past several weeks the Chatty Chatty Princess has been playing with two imaginary friends -- Diego & Alicia. She is always making sure that we are taking these two friends seriously. When we go anywhere in the car she asks, "Where are Diego and Alicia going to sit?" When we go to the pool she says, "Make sure you help Diego & Alicia." When it's time for a goodnight story, Diego & Alicia have to
listen too.

On Saturday morning, as we were preparing for our return trip to Minnesota, the Chatty Chatty Princess wasn't eating much of her breakfast. The Beloved asked her if she wanted to bring her donuts in the car, but the Chatty Chatty Princess said no. So I, being the intelligent and creative parent that I am, thought I would appeal to the needs of her friends, Diego & Alicia.

I said, "Should we bring the donuts in the car in case Diego and Alicia get hungry?"

"Daddy ... Donuts are real food and Diego & Alicia are pretend. You can't give them real food."


Score:

Chatty Chatty Princess - 1
D-Monk - 0




2. While on the Denver trip, the Chatty Chatty Princess lost her favorite pink elephant. She had asked Santa for a baby pink elephant for Christmas and he brought it to her because she was such a good mommy. Since Christmas, baby pink elephant has traveled everywhere with the Chatty Chatty Princess. But in Denver the baby pink elephant disappeared.

D-Monk got the Chatty Chatty Princess another stuffed elephant (gray, not pink) for the remainder of the trip and she was fine. But when we got home the Chatty Chatty Princess ran up to her bedroom and looked in her bed for the baby pink elephant. D-Monk reminded her that baby pink elephant got lost in Denver. She said, "I know, but I thought maybe she walked home."

D-Monk decided to go back to the same store where "Santa" had procured the original pink elephant. He brought home a new baby pink elephant and put it on her bed.

When the Chatty Chatty Princess discovered the elephant she came running down the stairs. "Look, Mommy & Daddy! Santa brought me a new baby pink elephant!"

Again, I made the mistake of thinking I could use her imagination as a tool for my argument. I told her that it was not a new elephant, but that Santa had found the old elephant and given her a bath. She remarked at this point that the old elephant had a white stomach. Neither the Beloved nor I had noticed this, but she was right. So, once again using my amazing powers of persuasion, I told her
that baby elephant was growing older and her stomach had turned pink.

"Daddy ... Stuffed animals don't grow!"

Score:

Chatty Chatty Princess - 2
D-Monk - 0