Playing dumb: A conversation with D-

This is the first in our high-minded series of conversations with D-, my three-year-old son.

I'm not new to this strategy, but let's see if you can pick it up:

As we entered a store today, D- saw some random toy displays, and innocently asked "Why do they have all these toys out here?"

Can you see where he's headed with this soft sell?

Me: "They're out for people who want to buy them."

D-: "I want to buy them..."

Me: "I don't think you have enough money to buy them."

D-: "But you have enough money to buy them..."

Me: "Yes, but I don't want to buy them."

D-: "But I want them..."

Me: "Even I don't have enough money to buy all the things you say you want. If I bought all the things you point out and say you want, we wouldn't have any money left over for food or other things we actually need."

D-: "Oh, okay."

And so it ended as simply as it began. He didn't even call my attention to any specific toy, just the whole brightly-colored area right as you walk in (clever bastards).

I think he may have a toy addiction. I wonder what the methadone would be for toy addicts... "educational" toys? Just like the real thing, only lamer.