Parent: I had tried without success to get my young child to brush her teeth  I had hoped that she would imitate me, or that she would be persuaded by reason to brush her teeth  Then, I made a point of brushing her teeth for her immediately before reading her a story before her naps and at night
After several weeks, when I would pick up a storybook at these times, she began automatically to retrieve her toothbrush and brush her teeth herself
Children ordinarily act contrary to their parents' expectations in order to get more attention.