[Erin_1712]

I know I have read of what can I do to make my new mother not love me. Pushing the limits. But could a child also play the game "how dumb can I act before they give up?". The reason I am asking is my son will pretend to not know what you are asking him to do or say. He stands there and either points to random objects or just stares at you and is silent. At first I just shoke my head and walked away but now I make him do whatever it is he will not do. Sometimes he acts as though he does not know where the laundry hamper is or wher the wipes are. When other times he can follow the direction of "can you get my book from the kitchen?". He will runand get it first try, but ten minutes later he will pretend he does not know what his shoes are. Is he testing us. I have no idea how to apraoch this because if I let him be "dumb" he then acts more and more like he cannot do anything. And will not be able to take off his clothes, or unzip his coat. Things I know he can do and has done many times.

I deal with it by making him do what ever he refuses to do. Sometimes I move his body into the right position to do the taskand then repeat what he is to do or sometimes I just leave him alone until he does it. But he must sit or stand in that spot until it is done. Ex. If he does not take his shirt off at night I sit him on his timeout stool and sit in the door way reading a book and ignore him and before you know it the shirt is off. although it has taken up to an hour for him to do the task he is getting quicker because he knows I will wait forever. And I have been late to alot of appointments because I would rather him do it than be on time. Is this what should be doing. Is there anything else I could be doing?

He seems a year behind in speech development because he holds back but once in awhile you will hear him use the skill he has hiding and I know he could be close to age level if he just stopped acting "dumb".