>Have to admit I don't keep up on the fan mags or do much reading in the checkout line but what is he up to?
>
>I used to do that....but these days, when waiting in the checkout line, I'm having these kinds of conversations with my four year old.
>
>"Dada, can I have candy?"
>"No"
>"Dada, can I have candy?"
>"No"
>Pause
>"Dada, can I have candy?"
>Then I look at the Peppermint Patties and how good they are
>"OK, I'll get one, just don't tell mommy"
>"Dada, you're silly"

For whatever it's worth I'll tell you what worked for me. I never wanted to do the scene with kids screaming and demanding everything that caught their fancy on the shelves. So I told them that if they were good they could pick out something from the candy rack at the register. It worked. We would get to the register, event free, and Emily would give me her most glowing smile. "Was I good?" Never underestimate the power of bribery.

Did we tell their mom about this arrangement? Hell, no. Tricia and I were fully open about anything to do with the girls about 99% of the time. I believe that was beneficial to them. They liked it that the other 1% was theirs alone.

On Emily's last visit here I made her laugh with an old story from when she was little. At the time she was about 2 and Allie was about 4 1/2. I read to them a lot, often with each of them sitting on one of my legs in the easy chair by the front windows. On this occasion it was just Emily. The word "secret" occurred in the book. I asked her if she knew what a secret was. "Yes. We don't tell Allie." Now they are best buddies, just as I told them they would be and they never believed, but back then it didn't take long for sibling rivalry to kick in.