It’s All Mine
Sometimes it’s good to be the kid left at home while your sibling is off at school.
Anyone with experience in dealing with toddlers knows they’re a selfish bunch. And they’re bullies. It doesn’t matter how sweet a child may seem or look, when it comes to something a toddler feels is theirs, they guard it like a mother hen protecting its chicks.
G is a sweet big brother . . . most of the time. He does a lot better at sharing than he used to, but if he’s in a greedy mood, no toy that is his may be permitted to enter anyone else’s hand. The consequence of holding a toy, or even looking at such a toy, is a swift swoop of the hand to remove that toy from the “thief’s” possession.
The “thief” is usually C and sometimes she even gets her own toys snatched from out of her grasp. Lucky for her she gets alone time with all the toys in the house for several hours each day. No glancing over her shoulder to see if her brother is near. No guarded hold over the toy she wants to play with. No finding a hidden corner where her brother won’t take notice of her. When he’s gone, she can play as freely as if she didn’t have a big brother.
And considering all the things G’s done to his little sister, I think some alone time with all the toys is well deserved.
Sorry to break it to you, but my two are 13 and 10, and they’re just as possessive of their stuff, and unwilling to share with each other, as they were as toddlers! The only difference now is that they are more articulate in explaining their ownership.
Good point. I better get used to it, then.