Papot 1, Manuel 0.

My son, Manuel, is deeply into the "No!" stage. Ordinarily, when loving, nurturing parents are confronted by the developmental stage wherein their child seeks the safety of boundaries by saying "No!" to everything that is the least bit contrary to their desires as opposed to their needs, they patiently go through the entire, laborious process of firmly establishing these much-needed boundaries by explaining matters thoroughly and setting examples judiciously.

My wife and I, on the other hand, just let my sister Papot loose on Manuel. The following is an exchange that Papot had with Manuel when we went to Zambales to celebrate my dad's birthday.

"Hi dear!"

"I'm not a dear!"

"Hi love!"

"I'm not a love!"

"Hi Manuel!"

"I'm not...Manuel."

Papot 1, Manuel 0. Tina and I are enjoying this thoroughly.