This Explains Everything, I've Been Playing the Wrong Sport!

This is my 10th time with a two year old.

The battle of the parental will against the irrational mind or is it the irrational parent against the indomitable will never ceases to surprise.

My daughter is a dumper.  She plays with the stuff in a basket, releases everything in it from captivity and then cavorts onto her next mess.  Today, I thought she should assist in picking up the plastic eggs she helpfully scattered across the entire living room after I'd just set them aside.

Now I know all the Parent magazine approved tricks.  Sing a song. Set the timer. Let them do half, make it a game.  She apparently knows them too and wasn't buying any of it.  She went rigid as only a Pilate's instructor or a two year old about to lay down the law can do.

Sensing that this is somehow an important battle, I dig up my special ed tricks, hand over hand, physical prompt, verbal prompt, lots of praise.  Again, I've held children in restraint before who raged, she wasn't raging, she was simply absolute refusing.  Hand over hand, we got down to the last egg, not without her trying at some point to swipe at the basket to show me not only am I not going to do this, I'm going to undo all you made me do so there.  I was fortunate this did not happen.

We got to the last egg.  She refused. I'd tried. I'd offered treats, praise, hand over hand, she would only throw the egg away to show she wasn't doing it.  I placed the basket on the table and the egg next to it.  "Nap time."  I declared.  She knew, this wasn't over.

My only question is is it wise to let her get refreshed before starting on round two of Easter Egg Rumble.

As I ponder this, the bus comes with her brother.  He is upset his sister is asleep.  In a fit of sibling solidarity, he dumps the entire basket and kicks it about with great abandon.  

I didn't realize this was World Federation Wrestling and I'd just been tag teamed.