This weekend was purposely packed with opportunities to teach Franklin how to share. The daycare has noticed that by the end of the week, he has the concept pretty much figured out. He may not like it, but he will grudgingly go along with the rules. He asks to play with toys that others have near them, he tells his friends he's not finished if they try to grab anything from him, he's okay with another kid playing next to him with another batch of play dough... Basically the MEMEME bubble gets a little thinner.

By the end of the week, the jumping up and down, shrieking fit has mellowed down to something that resembles controlled negotiation.

So, as a result, it's been concluded that he doesn't have to conform to the same rules at home.

duh

He's an only child. He doesn't have to share. It's all his and his alone.
Apparently, this isn't so good. All that literature I read about sibling spacing and rivalry and competition and comparisons are for nothing because now I'm raising a spoiled and selfish child.
I refuse to believe this.

So, this weekend we had two play-dates, one on each day. Franklin's wonderfully laid back (and 5 month younger) little friend M came over on Saturday. I had an activity planned that was a hell of a lot of fun and incredibly messy. We played with flour. We played with that cake pastry flour that comes salted, that I bought by accident, that I don't use because it's kind of gross to put salt in chocolate chip cookies. It's great to push around with a two inch high bulldozer though!

M's mother thought I was crazy (or stupid).
D thought it was more of an "outdoor activity".

Whatever. Flour went everywhere. Franklin and M had a blast.

On Sunday, we kicked it up a notch and Franklin went to visit two little boys who aren't that laid back and are used to a more aggressive sort of negotiation for their toys.

It was a little crazier, especially since all play revolved around trains. Nevertheless, it was good.

Today was the test. I told the daycare this morning about our play-dates. I thought the woman was going to pat me on the head.

"Good For YOOOOU!"

Franklin's day went well. It wasn't prefect, but there were no meltdowns.

If my mother-in-law read this weblog I'd be getting a phone call right now. For her, there's no time like the present to pop out another curly haired angel.