Originally Posted by aquinas
Eco, how did you answer? It's a harrowing question.
I tried several approaches.
Rational: I have never heard of any such scenario in real life. This will not happen.
(that one was met with serious eye-rolling, bc I'd missed the point)
Emotional: Are you worried about something?
(more eye-rolling)
Final response: If this were to happen--I'm pretty certain the stress of the situation would cause me to have a heart attack, so I wouldn't have to choose, after all.
(sighs, gives up)

On a similar note (and NOT for the parenting books), I came up with a horrifying but perfect way to respond when sibling-bickering, "it's not fair," "why does DS/DD get to do/have X and I don't?" I used to spend an inordinate amount of time explaining that equal isn't fair, different strokes for different folks, etc., a complete waste of breath.

Then I hit upon the response, complete deadpan:
"Why, because he/she is my favorite, of course."

[I KNOW that sounds absolutely despicable--and wouldn't do it now that tweendom/hormones/sensitivity are upon us...but for a brief, blissful period of time...this would stop both dead in their tracks, and then they'd erupt in peals of laughter. I called it a win.]