Facile Friday - What would I choose?

"Which would you rather have chocolate cake or chocolate ice cream?"  What the heck kind of question is that!

Anyone with kids of a particular age knows what it feels like to be asked these kinds of questions.

"Chocolate ice cream, for sure!"

The answer is subjective and can never be proven to be false because it is your choice and you are always right when it comes to your choice.

"But what if the cake was twice as big and had ice cream on it?"

"Well, then I guess I would choose the cake."

I am sure that many of you can now write the rest of this conversation.

"But what if the chocolate ice cream was made with the best chocolate that was your very favorite AND had your favorite cookie with it?"

"Ice cream it is!"

"But what if the chocolate cake and chocolate ice cream also came with a car?"

"Cake."

"But what if..."

OK, so this conversation and millions more that are just like it have been floating around in my head attached to the question, "Why?".

Why does this happen?  Why can't I just say that I would choose the ice cream and be done with it?  Why does the cake suddenly morph into something better than the ice cream?  Why!?

One day during a barrage of these kinds of escalating choices, I decided to just keep picking the same one.

"What if the house in the mountains had a swing AND a swimming pool?

"Hmmm, I think that I am still going to stick with the house in the desert."

"But mom!  The house has a pool AND a swing!"

"I like the desert."

"OK.  The mountain house has a swing, a pool, a bank with 2 billion dollars and a 12 of your most favorite cars."  He was smiling a very satified smile.

"Definately the desert house!"

"WHAT!?  2 billion dollars!  12 of your favorite cars!"

"What am I gonna do with 12 cars?  I can only drive one at a time."

This conversation went on a bit longer before he stomped off frustrated that I was willing to give up so much and live in the desert house. 

Max is not the first kid to have these conversations and won't be the last but why is that?  Is there some universal need to understand how choices are made?  Is this a developmental milestone of sorts that has begun the process of teaching them values and the power of individual choice?  

If it is, maybe I should have chosen the mountain house. 

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