Growing a Family: Stealing and sharing are not the same...

Lots of life lessons are being learned in the Kokes house right now...well they are being taught anyway, I'm not sure if anyone is exactly learning them yet! It got me to thinking how confusing the rules of possession must be when you are first learning them. You are supposed to share your toys without being asked, but you aren't supposed to take others' toys without asking, and mom and dad, they take things all the time and they don't even ask just say "no" and walk away with whatever it was (remotes, dog toys, cell phones-all the fun stuff, right?). Hmmmmm. Three children in the center of the "Mine!" stage mean that these are the words I am speaking all the time and their corresponding actions:

"Sorry, he had it first"....(give toy back to original owner, thief child screams)
"Could you please share that?" (setting toy back on the floor between two or more children-child trying to take off with toy screams while they try to take it and walk away with it again so they don't have to, other children who want the toy to stay scream)
"That's mommy's (or that's daddy's or Jovian's), not a toy." (Walk away with object, child who had forbidden object screams)

I could go on, but pretty much it is a cycle of someone taking and someone screaming. We understand that this is all a part of learning how to live in a family and how to play nice so I try to see the humor in it as they move through this phase. They all have varying types of scream so there's no doubt who believes they've been wronged.

Mylo: foot stomp, cry, pout and hug mom or dad's leg to get them to right the wrong

Oscar: Pterodactyl screach and then look at mom and dad with helpless, "why aren't you doing something eyes?!"

Victor: two extremes, push the thief out of the way and take toy back without a sound or a cry of pure sorrow until his toy is back in his hands.

There are certainly breaks (many of them) between the stealing and screaming and these moments where they play together happily are a source of complete and utter joy in this house.