Nap Time, Please?

Today I looked at my child and said, "Would you take a nap, please?" I asked very nicely. My request was ignored. And of course I then remembered what two big mistakes I had just made.

#1 - I did not ensure that the child was looking at me when I made the request. The child was busy looking around the room. ALWAYS get the child to look at you while you're talking.

#2 - I ASKED instead of TOLD the child what to do. Children are smart enough to know the difference between a question and a command. ALWAYS command, unless it really is optional.

Being an experienced mom, you'd think I wouldn't make these simple mistakes anymore. Of course, neither of these basic principles would probably work on the child in question anyway, he hasn't had enough training. Three months is just the very beginning, he's still a rookie.

Next topic in his training, "Would you please Do not spit up on me anymore."