A Losing Argument

It is pretty much impossible to win an argument with a stubborn 4 year old that thinks knows he's always right. I pretty much give up after five minutes of back and forth, saying something like, "I understand," or "I know you believe that, honey." Sometimes Luke accepts that as my admission of defeat and moves on to something else. I was entertained last night listening to one of these exchanges between Luke and my husband.

Luke was in the bath tub, and Jack and John were in the living room where Jack just discovered all of the wrapped presents I had placed under the tree. He was trying to con John into letting him open one, and having little luck. When that failed, he moved on to trying to con John into telling him what one of the gifts was. That too failed. So, as a last ditch effort to feel like he had gotten something out of his efforts, he tried to talk John into revealing the content of one of Luke's gifts, proclaiming he can keep a secret which we all know that he cannot.

I don't know about your kids, but mine have an eerie ability to appear completely detached and caught up in something else all the while listening to your entire conversation (which can be sketchy if you are talking about something that really isn't for them to hear.) Luke was singing in the bath tub, playing in the bubbles and splashing during this whole conversation, seemingly unaware of the entire exchange, until he blurted out:

Luke: I heard that!
John: Heard what?
Luke: You said Roboquad.
John: No I didn't.
Luke: Yes you did.
John: No I didn't.
Luke: Yes you did.
John: Luke, I said no such thing.
Luke: Yes you did (getting increasingly frantic and high pitched.) I heard you. You said Roboquad.
John: I'm sure that I didn't.
Luke: Well, you told Jack a secret.
John: No I didn't.
Luke: Yes you did.
John: No I didn't. (See a pattern here?)
Luke: I heard you! You told him a secret.
John: I really didn't.
Luke: Yes you did.
John: No, I said there would be no secretes.
Luke: Well, you said it really quietly.