rbo family

Squiss has been talking about "consequences" a lot.  I think that part of this is because she's enjoying saying the word, and it may also be because they're talking about "consequences" a good bit at school. For example,

"Mama, did you know that there are consequences?"

(Hmm, let me think.  Yes, yes, overactive superego that I have, I did know that there are consequences.)

"What are consequences?"

"Well, if you play during class time, then the consequence is that you have sit on the bench during some of play time."

"Oh, I see, because you took some play earlier, you have to lose it?"

"Yes.  Or, if you touch another child's job, then you have to sit and watch the other children working, and you're not allowed to work [at a job]."

And so on.  As we so often do, we're trying to bring this language home, to help her understand her choices.  (For example, if you dawdle while getting ready for bed, then the consequence is that there isn't as much time to read books.  And so on.)

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We were outside getting ready for dinner (Squiss and Tricksy washed the table for us), when all of a sudden there were two girls lying on the deck crying.  It turned out that

1. Squiss had turned around to take a step, and had tripped over Tricksy and fallen on top of her;
2. Tricksy, at least frightened, was shrieking from startlement and possibly slight pain; and
3. Squiss, equally startled and feeling quite guilty, was shrieking, "I'm sorry, Tricksy!  I didn't see her!"

I pulled them both into my lap, and we worked on having Squiss say "sorry" to Tricksy in a way that Tricksy could process. And we also worked on getting Squiss to simply stop crying, because after the first 60 seconds it was clear that Tricksy was still crying because Squiss was.

In what is probably simply a coincidence, Tricksy later poked herself on the finger and then said "sowwy."  That marks the first time she's said that spontaneously.

(Of course, there's been lots of apologizing in her short life.  We seem to be over the hump now, but for several weeks in a row The Wiggle was essentially using Tricksy as her preferred teething ring.  Her parents, horrified, got her to say "I'm sowwy, Twicksy," so Trix understands receiving apologies.  Both of those little girls have clearly been marked by the whole period: Trix still periodically points to her wrist and says, "owie -- Wiggel" with a sad and serious face; and Wiggle, when asked "what do we do to our friends?" replies "don't bite Twicksy."  [The desired response was "high-five!"])