Sharing is not a natural instinct.

This morning was my once a month turn to help babysit the Moppets while their moms enjoyed a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting. The moms always look refreshed when they come to pick up their toddlers after the meeting. No comment on how we grandma-aged babysitters look at the end of two hours. I do find it fascinating to watch the interaction between the children. As a former Junior high teacher I feel like I can already spot the personalities in the three-years-old that they will exhibit in later life. Some boldly charge into the melee and stake their place while others hang back a little, carefully considering the situation before they start to play. While we spend some of the time reading to them or playing with them in small groups, some are quite comfortable going off and playing on their own. The one consistent truth as they play is this: when one child finds a particularly fascinating toy -be it Darth Vader mask, fireman's hat or little toy truck, three others will instantly decide that that is the very toy they must play with right now. They have heard of sharing and taking turns but, let me tell you, hanging on firmly and shouting "mine!" seems to come much more naturally. Ah well, they will all become good citizens eventually - we hope.