The child chooses..

Sure...the child gets to choose…
but you choose his choices...

That's the way we do it...so...

Late one Saturday morning
a lady stopped by my studio...with her little boy…

She said to her four year old son…
Hey Johnny, wanna have your portrait done?

I cringed...cause I knew what was coming.

Well...as you might expect... Johnny said…"No!"...

Having exhausted her quiver with that one arrow… the lady was lost.for words.

So...I quickly signaled her over ...that...
we might have a chat…

Madam, I say, (sotto voce)
I have seen this situation before... here...
is what we do...

You go on up the hill there and have a nice snack...
then you come by after he's eaten...
on your way back.
 
Tell Johnny he's gonna have his portrait made… then ask him to make a choice...

Would he rather sit by himself in the chair…
or taller... on his Mama's lap?

Johnny chose to sit up tall…
on his mother's lap...

Proper little gent, he was...
and that's a fact…

This has happened so many times...
it's become old hat

The kid needs to be included...
it's as simple as that.