Together

Steven just came in with big tears streaming down his face. “The girls don’t seem to want to play with me,” he cried.

“Are they being mean about it?”

“No, they just don’t want to play with me.”

Come to find out, they were playing doll house. He wanted to play with them, but he naturally didn’t want to play doll house. They weren’t being rude or exclusive – they just weren’t changing their play.

I snuggled and talked with my boy for a few minutes, a bit sad in that moment that he didn’t have a brother like the girls have each other. But, before we could even come up with an alternative play option, Olivia walked in the room. Her hands were full of the new Wikki Stix she’d bought with some of her birthday money.

“Hey, Steven! I’m building a train track with these. Want to come help me?”

I don’t know that she really had any idea Steven was feeling left out. She just knew it was an activity he’d enjoy, so she sought him out.

My kids do fight. They whine. They pick at each other. They get on each other’s nerves. But, the majority of the time it is obvious how much they love each other. They are interested in each other. They like to be together.

And that just makes me smile.