Abby and Izzy play together very well. They will spend hours making up plays, complete with wardrobe changes, songs and piano interludes. However, there are certainly times when their play will escalate into a disagreement. Recently I decided to allow them time to try and work out their arguments. I discovered that they were able work out their differences quickly and creatively without my stepping in with a solution at the first sign of upset.
Last night I overheard this:
Abby: “I WANT TO BE THE MOM!”
Izzy:
“I WANT TO BE THE MOM!”
Abby: “YOU WERE THE MOM LAST TIME. I’M THE
MOM OR I’M NOT PLAYING!”
Izzy: “FINE. Play by yourself.”
Abby: “YOU PLAY BY YOURSELF! I’m getting
out of here!”
(stomping, silence for about 30 seconds)
Izzy: “Okay, you can be the Mom. But I’m
the Nanny, I don’t want to be a Dad because I want to wear the princess dress
and be a girl.”
Abby: “Okay, but you have to let me drive
the car.”
I am learning that the key to managing
these minor battles is knowing when it’s time to help them find a solution and
when it's best to let them solve it on their own. My parental attitude and
reaction also plays an important role in how they learn to react to each other.
Maybe that’s the point, they’re learning how to problem solve, and I'm
learning that I don’t always have to take on that role. Perhaps we should all allow more time to just sit back and enjoy the show.
