Sibling Rivalry

Presley is a very good big sister.  After Paxten arrived almost 12 months ago, any fear we had of Presley being jealous quickly faded away because she is such a loving and caring big sister.  She always wants to hold Paxten or give her kisses or paint her fingernails with markers, and she rarely shows signs of jealousy.  However, if you look deeper, every once in a while you’ll see it, and I think it is very natural.  I saw two examples first hand on Tuesday night:

First, at dinner, Presley was not excited about her kid’s soft chicken taco and immediately started crying and lay down on the floor.  I decided I did not have time to pick this particular battle since my wife was out of town, and I was trying to feed and bathe and put both girls down for the night.  I picked Presley up, gave her a big hug until she stopped crying, and then set her on the couch.  I told her if she didn’t want the taco, she could have a cereal bar.  She told me she wanted an “oakmeal cookie,” but I told her she had to have her cereal bar first.  So Presley ate her cereal bar, and then asked if she could have her “oakmeal cookie.”  Here is what followed:

Me:  Presley, you can have an oatmeal cookie, but you still have this taco.  Are you sure you don’t want it?

P1:  Can you save it in the refrigerator?

Me:  I can save some tortillas, but the taco won’t keep.  Are you sure you don’t want it?  Maybe just take two bites of it?

P1:  I want an “oakmeal cookie.”

Me:  You can have both Presley.  Do you want the taco?

P1:  No.

Me:  I’m going to give it to Paxten then. (NOTE: Paxten just eats the shredded chicken that I pull out of the kid’s soft chicken taco.)

P1:  NO!  Don’t give it to Paxten.

Me:  Do you want it?

P1:  No. Can you give it to Cady?

Me:  Wait, you want me to give it to Cady?

P1:  Yes.

Me:  Can I give it to Paxten?

P1:  No.

Me:  Why not?

P1:  Because she needs to get older to eat it.

Paxten and Cady and I split the inside of the kid’s soft chicken taco that night with Cady getting the majority.

The second story needs some background.  You need to know that we bathe Presley and Paxten together most nights.  You need to know that there are around twenty (20) soft, water squirting animals that the girls play with in the bath tub. (i.e. ducks, whales, sharks, blow fish, star fish, turtles, crabs, etc.) You need to know that Paxten LOVES the starfish.  It is the only one she plays with, and it has been for at least three months now.  Every once in a while Presley will try to take it from Paxten, but we ask Presley if Paxten can have it because “it’s her favorite,” and tell Presley she can play with all the other ones.  On Tuesday night, I noticed as soon as Presley got in the tub, she grabbed the star fish, and she continued to play with it during the entire bath.  I could tell Paxten was looking for it so I asked Presley if Paxten could play with it:
Me:  Presley, can Paxten play with that.

P1:  Nooooo, it’s my favorite.

Me:  Presley, it is not your favorite.  You’re just saying that because you know it is Paxten’s favorite.

P1 (smiling from ear to ear): No it’s my favorite.

Paxten didn’t get to play with the star fish that night.