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check mate, Ta-kun!

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Young ta-kun refuses to wear his toque. So I employed my secret double agent: Kenny!

None of the adults succeeded in getting the boy (now 2 1/2) to keep his toque on. We told him it looked cute, we told him it looked cool, we showed him that the other boys were all wearing toques and that I was wearing one. Nope, he'd peel it off immediately even if we succeeded in getting it on in the first place.

So I handed his toque to Kenny and asked Kenny to take it to Ta-kun. My reasoning was two fold: Kenny and Ta-kun are about the same age and size, and we've somehow converted Kenny to a toque wearer; Kenny, when he's decided that someone should do something, is insistant—really stubborn.

It worked immediately. Kenny walked up to Ta-kun, calling his cousin's name. He held up the toque, and even helped Ta-kun put the thing on. Ta-kun not only allowed it, but seemed please.

It must be the management book I'm reading that's paying off.