I was in the kitchen cleaning up the counters. This is what I heard from the toy room…
Crash, clang, sounds of minor scuffle, with train wheels squeaking and Weebles clacking into one another. Squealing from the baby as Liam retrieved yet another stolen train…
Liam: “No! Kieran, I love you for all of my life, but NO! The trains are mine!”
Kieran: “Gah.”
Liam (in a sweet and patient tone): “Kiri, you have to learn that other children won’t play with you if you steal their toys. You have to learn to share.”
Kieran: “Gegga gog doo!”
Liam (continuing on in his role of Mr. Manners): “Kiri, you are little and have to learn a lot. I’m the big brother, so I’ll teach you how to share. ‘Share’ means that I get to play with your toys, and you don’t play with mine because they are not baby-appropriate. They have choking hazards on them. Got it?”
Kieran: “Bregga boo! Gah! Toy?”
Kieran then made a beeline for the Breakdown Train. Liam grabbed it first:
Liam: “No! You are not sharing right! And you aren’t allowed to choke. Here, Little Brother, let me show you.”
Liam put the train on a shelf out of Kieran’s reach and then grabbed all four of Kieran’s Weebles, deaf to the angry shrieking that resulted.
Liam: See, Kiri? That was wonderful sharing. You stay safe and you let me play with your toys! Way to go!”
Kieran looked forlornly at his Weebles, and then began crawling towards me, chirping, “Mama? Mama? Toy? Toy?”
I know, I know, Kiri. Big Brothers are not always subtle in their requests, are they? Just wait until you can define the word “share” in your own words…
Snort. His time will come, tell him to just ask A who rules the place now :-).
Giggle. Exactly what Chichimama said… J rules our house, too.
I love it! And, wow, Kieran isn’t allowed to choke? You sure have strict rules.
oh liesl, that is *priceless*!!!!!
gosh it never ceases to amaze me how *articulate* Liam is…
That was wonderful sharing. You stay safe and you let me play with your toys! Way to go!
love that level of encouragement…
methinks Kiri may get some trains for his next birthday???
if he can wait that long… X
Liam just cracks me up. I love when you blog about he and Kiri. For now, “sharing” goes the same way in our house.
So priceless! Seriously hearing stories like that makes we want to have another one. Maybe Lilly will learn to share then
Too Cute!!! Liam is so polite to his little brother.
LOVE this: “They have choking hazards on them. Got it?”