Negotiating with a Terrorist

"Please I can have a piece of cheese, mama?"
"Tyler, if you eat all your dinner, you can have a piece of cheese."
Tyler eats one bite.
"Now I can have cheese?"
"No, you have to eat more than that."
Tyler holds up a grain of rice / a single noodle / a pea.
"This much?"
"No, more than that."
Tyler eats the grain of rice / single noodle / pea.
"Now please I can have cheese?"
"No, you have to eat half of your dinner, then you can have cheese."
Tyler pushes food around.
"Was that a bite, mama?"
"No, that was you pushing your food around."
Tyler picks out the least offensive morsel and eats it. With his fingers.
"Now is time for cheese, mama?"
"No, you have to eat one more bite, and then you can have cheese."
Tyler eats one normal-sized bite. He grins.

Tyler 1, Mama 0.