Selective Helping

I've decided to run away from my heathen children for a few minutes to blog about a phenomenon I've discovered and labeled personally. It's something that wasn't around in my childhood, back when a "no" answer would mean subjection to objects such as switches or belts. This new state of mind occurs when you ask your child to perform some menial task and depending on:

A. Their mood
B. Their mood
C. Their mood

They may or may not respect that request.

Example.

Today as I was cleaning the sink I asked my oldest daughter to go downstairs to keep an eye on her brothers and baby sister. I notice she doesn't respond immediately so I repeat the request, gazing up and noting she is no longer in the room. Instead she has chosen to retreat outside to feed her rabbit, thus doing something else that is fun versus productive.

Selective helping, my children suffer from it. Do yours?