[BlazingFrog]

Thank you. Good to know that I'm not alone...

Unfortunately, whether it's due to the societal environment or maybe some of my guilt for not feeling like the perfect Dad that desperately wishes to spend every waking seconds with his kids is transpiring but my 5-yo son floored me today.

When I kindly refused to play with him on the computer, explaining that I was tired after a very long day and that, beside, we were heading out in the next 10 minutes he replied with a tone clearly aimed at inspiring guilt: "But Daddy, you're supposed to take care of your kids..."

Let me add right now that I do spend a healthy amount of time with my kids, just like any reasonably involved parent of 2 in a family of 2 working adults.

His plea was not a cry for attention, I assure you.

5 years of age.

[roel_v]

Stuff like that is quite awesome - children showing that they know how to manipulate others from a young age on. At a very young age it seems to be an instinct (e.g., crying for attention); but throughout their child years most of western society tries to 'educate' that out of them; and then those who do have to re-learn it (albeit in other terms) in their student or early career years to get ahead.

[lurker19]

If not a cry for attention, what was it? A call for your attendance?

[BlazingFrog]

Yes. After having failed to obtain it using the most frontal approach (asking me), he naturally resorted to a more subtle approach that appealed to my (apparently obvious) insecurities as a parent. Or it could have been a trial balloon to evaluate those insecurities. In any case, my statement about not being a CRT for attention was meant to emphasize the "cry" part in the desperate sense of the term. It was simply a calculated move.