Reverse Psychology

James isn't a cuddle bug. He never has been, ever since the infant stage passed. The only time he'll cuddle is when he's sick or when he wants hugs and kisses before we leave. We read stories before bed, and he'll lay right next to us with his head on our arm, but that's really the only thing we get. Every time I'm tucking him in for bed, I say, "Can I have a hug and a kiss?" He says NO! and laughs and leaves me out in the cold. So one night I wondered what would happen if I tried some reverse psychology on him. I said, "Well, goodnight James, I don't want any hugs or kisses." IMMEDIATELY, his face glimmered with is beautiful smile and he said, "I do! I want hugs and kisses!" Of course that made my day!
So I decided to try it for lunch time the next day with his large glass of milk that he still had sitting there waiting for him to drink when he was about ready to get down to play. I looked at him and asked him if he could drink it down to a certain line, and I flat out told him that I didn't think he could do it. "I bet I CAN!" He replies with a huge smile and laugh. After he chugs down to that line, I tell him yet again that I don't think he can drink it ALL GONE, and he says, "I bet I CAN!" and drinks it all gone. I love it!
Tonight he was having his nighttime snack, a bowl of cereal. We had been upstairs a few moments before when he told me that he wanted a snack... and wanted cinnamon. Cinnamon? Oh, ok. So out I brought the Cinnamon Life cereal. He had TWO (small) bowls of it and then wanted extra milk in his bowl for drinking through the bowl's straw. Once again I broke out the reverse psychology, which has now become a pretty good joke, and told him I didn't think he could drink it all. He said, "I think I CAN!" again, and when I told him to show me, he said "Ok... FIRST... I drink!" and held up his pointer finger like he was beginning a lesson at school. It was so funny.
Part of the reason I think this works well with him and the milk is because I make such a huge deal about it with my expressions and comments. I say things like, "NO WAAAY! You can't POSSIBLY do THAT! SHOW ME!" I put a gigantic surprise expression on my face and he just GIGGLES! Every time. It's great.
There are some times when I'll say, "James, I really don't think you can finish that milk", and he'll say, "Oh, yeah, Mommy, you're right, I can't!" Ha ha ha. DANG!