Play Nice

Sometimes I think it’s difficult for Eva to understand that Amanda is not just another one of her toys.  She loves to play with her little sister, and Amanda likes the attention, but she often tends to get the raw end of the deal.  Eva likes to dump her toys (like her wooden toolbox) in front of Amanda so she can play with her, but then snatches away any toy that sister reaches for.  Then she’ll find a toy she thinks Amanda would like to play with, and try to force it into her fist or mouth.  She’ll give sister one end of a toy to play tug-of-war, and laugh as Amanda gets pulled over.  She likes to swing toys in front of her face and watch as Amanda flinches or blinks when the breeze gets too close to her face, but of course she usually ends up accidentally clocking Amanda upside the head.  If she wants to give Amanda a “nap”, she’ll arrange a pillow behind her back, push her over, and cover her with a blanket. Sometimes she tries to share her snacks by stuffing them into Amanda’s mouth, or to make her drink from her sippy cup.  She likes to put toys on Amanda’s head like a hat, or arrange her glasses over her nose and laugh at the effect.  I know she means no harm, and I want to encourage them to play together, but I spend most of my time trying to protect one from the other and putting Eva in time-out for getting too rough.