Pig Won’t and Pig Will

Last night, I escaped to my book club and let Rob put the boys to bed. This should be Rob’s post, I guess, but I’ll share it as reported to me.

While I was gone, Owen refused to lay down in his crib and insisted that “mommy” needed to put him to bed, in his most stubborn pig-headed 2-year-old manner.

Rob asked Owen to help him out since he was having to put both Will and Owen down all by himself.

“I don’t care about that!” Owen shouted stubbornly.

And so Rob called upon good ol’ Richard Scarry to help him out. Owen got a little board book as a birthday party favor entitled “Isn’t Pig Won’t Naughty?” The little tale of compliant Pig Will doing everything as his parents ask and stubborn Pig Won’t saying “I won’t” to everything – and catching a cold and missing a birthday party as a result -- delights both Will and Owen probably because they recognize a bit of both the sweet Pig Will and the strong-willed Pig Won’t in themselves. Their young minds pull them willy-nilly in both directions.

In any case, last night Rob told Owen that Will, who was tucked in bed and quietly attempting to sleep, was acting like Pig Will and that Owen was kind of acting like Pig Won’t. Owen thought about this for a moment and quickly decided to become Pig Will for the night. He laid down quietly and put himself to sleep.

I may try calling on Pig Won’t again in a pinch – although this may have been a one-time miracle-worker.

Have you noticed your children’s behavior change in response to a book or story?