I think something different.

We are in a stage of parenting where our beloved children are practicing "bickering."  It is usually something incredibly ridiculous because it is hard to bicker over a toy when you are strapped into a car seat.  And it is hard to take it seriously because Noah can't remember the word and calls it "pickering."  But inevitably, Maeve will pick something ridiculous and harp on it. For instance... "Noah, I'm bigger than you are."  Which she obviously isn't.  Or, "I'm a unicorn" which she obviously isn't.  But Noah is living in a world of black and white, right and wrong, and Maeve is living in a world of Me, Me, MEEEEEEE.

It has been hard to tell Noah that he is indeed factually correct while honoring Maeve's wild imagination and not telling her she is "wrong."  I continually tell Noah that Maeve can think what she likes as long as it doesn't hurt him.  And I have told him that instead of getting mad, he can instead stay calm and say "I think something different and that is okay."

This calm and mature response hasn't exactly won in the car time bickering over silly wonderland phrases.

And then today....

The kids were arguing over who was going to go to the bathroom first when they got home.  Noah told Maeve that he was faster and would beat her.  She argued that she was faster. Back and forth they went.

Until,

Noah said directly, "Maeve, I think something different and that is okay."

I almost drove off the road.

I gave him a big old satisfied and proud smile and told him that was the right thing to do.

He grinned from ear to ear.