Jake uses his fabulous smile. You can't help but smile back and agree to whatever he requests because he's so adorable. He's a little dynamo of sunshine, except when he's troubled and then he produces the most pitiful tears--big fat tears that slowly roll down his chubby cheeks. You feel compelled to champion his every cause. (Right or wrong!)
Viva has very different techniques for getting her way. She stomps her feet and demands loudly that we do her bidding. Sometimes she adds tears, but tears of anger are much easier to ignore than pitiful tears of misery. Other times Viva turns on the charm, but she's much more subtle about it than Jake is and in the chaos created by three toddlers, she can be overlooked. But, then again, she is The Princess and she knows it. She is soooo cute with her fashionista wardrobe and perky little pony tails and precocious vocabulary. She holds her own against Jake the Adorable.
Bentley, at almost four, usually uses verbal reasoning to get his way. Most of the time we are so amused by his conversational ploys that we give in to his persuasions, but once in a while he crosses the line and then we have to rein in the little despot. After all, we are in charge, right? !? His mother sometimes accuses Bentley of whining and that technique is seldom effective with her. He has more luck using it with grandma.
