Learning to share

Zoe has always had trouble with sharing. I think it has to do with having 2 older sisters to contend with, and a new baby on the block who gets to sit in the baby gear which used to be hers, and play with her baby toys, and have her cuddles, and get her smiles and attention. It's a difficult position. Last Christmas, my brother had a laugh with us watching her open presents and immediately run to the corner with her newly unwrapped toy and guard it with her body while declaring, "It's MINE!" She was certain someone was going to try to steal it.



She's very protective and feels she has to grasp at things to stand a chance at owning anything. I've emphasized to her sisters the importance of modeling positive behavior, and that she will be better at sharing if she watches us be generous with our belongings. I've been hoping that as she adjusts to her role as big sis, she'll begin to grow into a more giving little girl.

And I saw a glimpse of that little girl a few moments ago. I sat down beside Zoe to enjoy a serving of Edys Samoas Ice Cream (oh my gosh!) while she began devouring her own. Then she glanced down and saw that I had a mouthful left, which I was just about to scoop up on my spoon. But before I had the chance, she swooped in there and snagged it for herself. Straight in her mouth.

I played it up. "Hey. That was MOIN" (the way she pronounces it. I know, I know. How mature of me). Her eyes went dead while her brain got busy processing. While she was smacking her lips and staring down at the bowl, I could see from her frozen expression and furrowed brow that she was doing a lot of thinking.

She swallowed. Then she looked at her own bowl which only had a spoonful left of solid ice cream, sitting like a castle in a moat of melty ice cream soup. She took her spoon and, confident in her decision, collected her ice cream fortress and placed it in my bowl.

And spouted out a paragraph of 2 year old babble with much inflection, and I picked up on the words, "for you", "ice cream", "some more", "mummy" and "it's good".

So we halved it. And she got a kiss and a hug. And some praise. And I was proud. And the ice cream was delicious.

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