Sibling Discord

"Ow. Quit it. Ow. Quit it. Ow. Quit it." Bart Simpson to his sisters poking his sore arm.  The Simpsons Episode 1: Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire

Seriously?  When my children are interacting like the Simpsons we have gone completely off the rails.  I am so used to my kids getting along most of the time.  Not a lot of screaming, playing nicely and quietly together.  They have been fighting for weeks and we are now only three weeks away from Summer break.   I'm scared.

problem #1
The girl and her girl shrieking (making my ears bleed).  I very well may go crazy if I hear my articulate 2.5 year old shriek at her brothers again.  USE YOUR WORDS!  BETTER YET, USE YOUR SENTENCES!  Also, try napping.  It works for every other toddler on the block.  The nap is your friend.

problem #2
control
Patrick needs to be the boss.  Keith needs to be the boss.  Lauren needs to be the boss.  Notice a theme here?


problem #3
I'll have what he/she's having.....  My children are capable of fighting over one dumb toy that they have successfully ignored for months.  Today its my old cell phone (like old old old older than they are old).  Keith wants to hoard it in his pile of things, Lauren wants to make phone calls.  There will be blood.

They get alone fine when they are glued to the TV.  So the TV is dark until they figure this out.

Now that's more like it!....  This lasted about 15 minutes before the fighting restarted and the little kids were sent to their rooms.  If we can break through this wall of bickering we can take on anything. 

Girl Power

Look!  A new post label!  Mother of a Girl.  Nurture?  Forget it!  This is ALL nature.

 For two weeks Lauren obsessed over paper bags.  She would sneak into the pantry to find a bag and then proceed to carry it around for days. 

 Finally, I caught a clue and got one of my small purses out for her to play with.  Girlfriend was in girl heaven. 

 She also demanded that I put her headband on her and that she be allowed to wear it as a necklace (Do you hear that Blair? Headbands are so over!)

She hasn't seen me carry a purse.  I have had a diaper bag for almost a year and I mostly leave it in the car or sling it across the stroller!  This is all natural.