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Currently, my kids come to me about everything. Okay, maybe it just seems like everything. I’m sure my wife hears more of their needs than do I. One of my jobs as a parent is to get them to be able to resolve conflicts peacefully on their own.

They were not getting along well the other day. They went back and forth throughout much of the day, and it got rather comical after a while.

Beta : “Daddy, Alpha is using his whiny voice!”

Alpha : “Daddy, Beta put his toe in my eye!”

I suppose I see their problems as rather trivial and wonder why they need to call me over to settle who gets what Lego or who read which book first last night, but to a small child those are the important things.

I am just glad that the conflicts are that trivial – who gets the red plate and who gets the blue plate – and they (and I) don’t have bigger worries.

Finally, just before bedtime when the kids were getting their books for me to read to them, I heard this:
“Daddy, Beta is not letting me get through!”
“Well, did you ask him to move?”
“No…”

(slight pause)

“Beta, please move so I can get through.”
“Okay”
“Daddy, I asked nicely for him to move, and he moved!”

Funny how that works… This situation definitely needed some encouragement thrown in, so they would remember how well things work when you are nice.

“Good job to both of you.”