The wisdom of Solomon
There has been an issue in the house lately.
I have three boys.
I don’t have three of everything in the world which leads to the problem of…
Sharing.
Sharing is just not that popular. Â I mean it sounds like a good idea. Â It looks good when it is properly done, but the procedural issues that lead up to sharing seem to be in question around here.
For the most part, I believe in letting them work things out. Â I make exception for blood and blood-curdling screams.
Rhett(4) is the youngest and the loudest. Â He is on to my blood-curdling scream exception and has been utilizing this knowledge for evil.
The latest object of desire is at such a high desirability that sharing is obviously out of the question. Â I mean really, let’s be reasonable here!
That prized possession came in the mail yesterday…the latest LEGO catalog.
The previous editions have been poured over, dreamed over – literally, placed under a pillow and dreamed over, studied, memorized, and dogeared to the point of disintegration. Â It is like gold was delivered.
Ryan(8) and Reid(6) were the first to notice it’s arrival. Â They flipped through it together while sitting on the couch. Â Rhett(4) walked through the room and saw what his brothers were up to and started in with the blood-curdling screaming thing.
Ouch.
Rhett, you can sit on the other side of Ryan here and look at it with your brothers.
Mommy, they don’t want to look at the CITY stuff. Â That won’t work.
Then you need to wait until they are done.
Waaaaaahhhhh. Â They are NEVER EVER going to be done.
That is not true. Â Let’s give them another 15 minutes and then you can look at it.
15 minutes is FOREVER.
*15 minutes later*
*screams from the living room*
MY TURN!
And then Rhett ended up with the LEGO catalog mid-afternoon, evening, and took it to bed with him.
How did a 4 year old accomplish all this when competing with a very astute 8 year old and a physically imposing 6 year old?
He pulled a King Solomon. Â He told his brothers that if they tried to take the catalog from him he would rip it into pieces. Â His older brothers have learned to trust him on things of this type of consequence.
I would too.
He is a man of his word with the wisdom of a king.
Gah, sounds like my house. It’s even worse with the Brickmasters magazine…sigh…
Hello, I usually get your posts by emails so I don’t comment regualarly but for this post I just had to say… I Love it!
The boys will love reading these accounts when they get older as well.
Gotta love that Rhett!!
Future judge you’ve got there.
I love how the older two were wise enough to listen. If only my Oldest would learn the scorned little brother lesson so well.
This is hillarious! I can’t tell you how much enjoy reading your blog, it’s very inspiring when I go to write my own 🙂 Happy new year!
Generally I don’t have much help to offer in regards to sharing. But, specifically, for the Lego catalog….sign them all up! Don’t force sharing when they could each have a coveted copy!
i love it. that catalog is like gold in my house.
Thanks so much for the comment! Good luck with that cat, one can, on occasion, be more danerous than two…
Oh, yes. I would seriously have considered copying it on the printer just to stop the fighting.
One day, Rhett may learn to use his powers for good!
Wow, that is pretty impressively brilliant for four years old. Seriously.
1st a Donald Trump, now a King Solomon. Rhett continues to astound me.
lmbo
Okay, here’s my advice
not that you asked for it, but this works for me.
I never use the word “SHARE”. This implies that they only get half of something (or a third, in your case). I use the words TAKE TURNS. Yes, it is doing the same thing but I think the kids don’t think of it that way. They think, “For a period of time, this thing will be ALL MINE!!!”
Next, I make them take turns by rolling a die. It is completely fair, it doesn’t matter who rolls first, and it will not affect what the others can roll. I’m a probability freak like that.
Maybe this will help for you next time. Plus, a kid of any age can understand it.
🙂
Take turns is a great idea. I can’t get the concept of share across to my kids either.. I will try the “take turns” because that makes more sense. You can’t explain something to a child when they aren’t old enough to get the concept!
-Sylvia