Do they do it on purpose? This "good cop/bad cop" thing JT and MO do? Do they get up in the morning and secretly decide who gets to be the angelic, model citizen and who gets to be the terror-child? I wonder how they decide? Rock, Paper, Scissors? Is there a point system?
Why can't they both be "bad cop" on the same day? We could just hunker down and have one, big, nasty, miserable day full of griping and misery and be done. Then we could have a "good cop" day where everyone is happy and there is a rosy glow to our day filled with butterflies and singing.
I cannot remember the rules from my childhood. Surely, my brother and I knew them and strategically worked out the good cop/bad cop plan for each day. Right? I wonder if he remembers.
Now I'm curious about how families with more than two children work this out each day. Do the kids split the good cop/bad cop duties down the middle? What if there is an odd number of children? More good some days, more bad others? What about an only child?
Ok, so mine have adopted permanent good cop and bad cop roles. Every once in while, however, something wild and wooley jumps down the throat of my good cops and they become unrecognizable as bad cops. The REAL bad cops, being crafty an sly by nature, take advantage of this inexplicable transforamtion and confuse the issue by becoming....good cops! They are looking to reap bonus approval points by choosing to behave when there is the greatest contrast between bad cop and good cop. Let me know if I lost you...
ReplyDeleteIn reality, I do think the kids worked it out behind closed doors. You know, "I'll be the bad cop and take the heat if you share your good cop rewards. Remember, I like candy so it's up to you as good cop to secure some. Meanwhile, I'll draw the fire of the parental units from you. Deal?"
Whadya mean? I was always the angelic good cop!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, it's obvious to even the most casual observer that Cindy has a rebel gleam in her eye! I'm laughing because the ad on the screen right now says "Defiant Kids?"
ReplyDeleteLil Bro, I beg to differ! Although, I was the older sibling and probably came up with most of the schemes, I'm sure I talked you into taking the fall on a regular basis so that I came out smelling like a rose. You were the good cop, until you weren't. And then I was. Just don't remember how it all panned out.
ReplyDeleteJ, I love how you describe the good cop/bad cop situ in your house! What a hoot!!!