Contention in the Ranks

It seems that suddenly George wants to fight a battle over every little thing. I try to be accommodating, but I also draw the line and let him knows who's boss when I need to. It's getting more difficult to pick my battles though, as I want to allow him to express his need for independence and control without him thinking that he is in charge.

For example. Last night I made them green beans to go with their dinner. This is normally not a problem. George said "I want corn on the cob!" I calmly said "We don't have any corn on the cob." And he replied "Then I want other corn!" I said "No, we're having green beans tonight. You can have corn tomorrow." He was not happy with that response, and told me so. I told him he didn't have to eat the green beans, but that he wasn't getting corn. He ended up eating the green beans with no problems. Today, I gave them corn for lunch. And when I asked them if they wanted peas with it, they both said yes. Then when I went to serve it, George threw a fit about wanting green beans instead. I told him he could have green beans with dinner, and he didn't have to eat the peas and corn. But he ended up eating them all. I just had to endure a little fit about it first. And it's getting that way with a lot of things now: what he wears, what toys he wants to play with, how helpful he is (or is not), etc. I'm hoping it is a quick phase of figuring out the boundaries. Because I am certainly showing him where they lie.

I understand that obedience is more likely to occur with perseverance and consistency, so I strive for that. But man, it is difficult. These little ankle-biters really know how to wear you down.