Contested Ownership
Terence, in some strange fit, decided to go through a bunch of boxes in our closet and toss a bunch of old stuff yesterday. In a stack of his old papers he came across a list that I just have to share:
I think this list has been floating around for years, and I don't know who originally wrote it, but it fits life in our house perfectly! Unfortunately, this is how all our kids treat stuff, which makes life very confrontational around here.
Summer break might just be a looooong two months.
TODDLER PROPERTY LAWS
- If I like it, it's mine.
- If it's in my hand, it's mine.
- If I can take it from you, it's mine.
- If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
- If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
- If I'm doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.
- If it looks like mine, it is mine.
- If I saw it first, it's mine.
- If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.
- If it's broken, it's yours.
I think this list has been floating around for years, and I don't know who originally wrote it, but it fits life in our house perfectly! Unfortunately, this is how all our kids treat stuff, which makes life very confrontational around here.
Summer break might just be a looooong two months.
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