Peace and Other Imaginary Things

Peace talks last only as long as the cameras are rolling and taking pictures. Much like the eyes of parents with sibling rivalries.

The boys were so ecstatic about having their own room, one in which they have their stuff in and not my craft stuff, scrapbooking stuff, sewing stuff, cake stuff, puppet stuff and random stuff. It’s been great… mostly. The best part is that they can finally play with their toys in their room and not scatter them throughout the living room for Lucy to pick up and start gnawing on Luke Skywalker’s feet until they are gone. The worst part is them not being supervised, which meant a slight issue involving my husband’s old dresser from when he was a kid that belonged to his mother when she was a kid. Let’s just say I have a feeling it won’t be in there for long, since they have the memories of goldfish.

Okay, so really, the best part of unsupervised children means that we can be doing something without the constant interruptions of the kids asking us random questions, right? If only that were true. It really means that they have to constantly run out to the living room or kitchen where either of us are to tell on the other for doing something completely blameless. It also means that they have to share, something they think is only a sometimes option. We make them apologize for wronging the other, they kiss, they hug, then they run off together for a few minutes of unadulterated joyful playtime before one of them comes out of the room to tattle on the other and the process starts all over. Oy vey!

Alas, I suppose sibling peace just isn’t meant to be. Well, not at the ages of three and four anyway. Of course, their problems mostly consist of who gets to play Batman and who gets to play Robin. I suppose the best thing to do is just pick our battles to intervene in, and let them decide how best to handle the minor stuff. After all, that’s how I was raised and I turned out okay… maybe? Bill Cosby said it best: “The truth is that parents are not really interested in justice. They just want quiet.” Amen to that.