Number 5 is in a hitting phase. Whenever another child in this house does not do exactly what she wants, when she wants, she just hauls off and belts him or her.
Number 6 is exactly one year younger than Number 5, and he is usually her targeted victim. Granted, he will taunt her, often grabbing whatever she happens to be playing with, waving it in her face, and sprinting out of the room.
A couple of days ago I was in my room picking some things up. Number 5 and 6 were playing, or so I thought, in the other room. In a matter of seconds, I heard laughing, then yelling, and finally crying.
I went in to see what was going on.
“Why is Number 6 crying?” I asked.
“Because I pushed him,” said Number 5.
Well, at least she’s honest.
“Why did you push him?”
“Because he took my book.”
So then I asked her the same question I ask every time, which, apparently, does absolutely nothing.
“When is it okay to push people?” I asked her.
“Never,” she said.
We had the same conversation we always do about how I want her to “use words” to solve a problem when she is angry, and how pushing, kicking, and hitting are not only mean things to do, but that they can be very dangerous.
Her usual response is, “Sorry Mommy.”
But this time she looked directly at me and said,
“So who cares?”
What 2-year-old says that? And where the hell did she learn it?
Oh it’s on now, Number 5.
*snort* I love it. Not that I’d love to be on the receiving end of it, but I love it just the same.