Should Kids Really Share?

OK,... so I don't have my own kids thus I have to take advantage of this fun story...

Today we had a work lunch.... basically someone who works remote was in town, so a bunch of us wanted to go out to lunch. Well an old co-worker of ours decided to come. She's a stay at home mom now, and in fact also does day care for one of the working moms in my department. And since the working mom's day care giver is coming to lunch, the working mom is also bringing her child. So now, we have 3 children coming to our work lunch. Cool... sounds fun to me!

So, we have two tables, 1 with high chairs and booster seats all ready, and 1 with no childern amenities. Well of course as people file in it turns out that I move from the all adult table to the 'kid' table. I'm sitting next to the 2 year old girl (who's at the head of the table), and her 4 year old brother is across the table from me. Well, naturally the stay at home mom is excited to see everyone and strikes up conversation with the other 3 adults at the table. This leaves her son, who is hiding under the table, and daughter with no mother to watch their every move.

Naturally the restaurant gave the kids crayons and paper menus to draw on. So for about 5 minutes that entertained the daughter. Well, thanks to my 18 nieces and nephews, I've learned that it is much more enjoyable to sit next to a 2-year old if you play with them a little. So I started asking her about the crayons. Then she started sharing them with me, and asking me to draw. I thought, how nice she's sharing! Then I hung onto the crayons because she had clearly lost interest.

Then her mom starting giving her bites of muffin, which entertained her for yet, another 5 minutes. Then she decided she needed to share her muffin. And not just hand it to me nicely, but to put it on my little muffin plate... you know, that little place for your bread? So, wow! I thought, what a great girl! But I still did not really want her muffin, so I showed her my muffin that I was 'conveniently' eating at the same time.... so she knew I didn't need her muffin pieces.

At this point, we resort to the little back pack that mom brought full of toys! YAY for prepared moms! So we bust out the groovy plastic slinky. That I think actually worked for 8 minutes. Then her mom finds the wind up toys, which finally gets the son to come out from under the table. And wow, about another 8 minutes passed!

Then lunch comes! And the daughter and son were having hot dogs and french fries. Well, as a good mom would, she grabs the son's hot dog to cut in half. In the mean time I don't know if the daughter thought the hot dog was too big (which it was!), or if she didn't want it. So she tries to put the hot dog on my plate! Uh, no. So then, she puts it on the table right next to my plate. I try to hand it back to her. But nope, she beats me and tries to put it by me again. At this point the mom is aware and grabs the hot dog to also cut it in half, so daughter happily starts on the french fries.

Then she decides that after she has enjoyed multiple french fries and has good greasy-ketchupy hands, that she needs to share again! At this point she has taken a french fry and mushed a it up and down on her plate, so that its that nasty squishy type of fry and then tries to give it to me! So she starts to put it on my plate... even though she can clearly see that I too have french fries. So I politely tell her I don't want it. (This argument works much better on my nephew when he's whining and says, "BUT I WANT ...." and I say, "But I don't." It's like he never thought about the fact that I might think differently than him... its fun!) She tries again, again I say, "No thanks, I have my own fries." Well, that worked for maybe 2 minutes, and then she tries again with a new french fry! And I still have my own fries.

Then when she's done with her sippy cup.. and her brother's sippy cup, she doesn't want them near her... infact she wants them near me. Now, I'm starting to realize... maybe she doesn't want to share... maybe this really isn't about giving and being nice.... she thinks I'm the all purpose garbage can! Dang-it! How could I have fallen for those adorable eyes, and gorgeous curls! This whole time I thought she liked me... but alas, I'm just a useful big person! hahahaha.

Oh well, I guess I have a lot to learn with kids, but I did learn a very important rule in Denver from my sister-in-laws.... NEVER and I repeat NEVER share drinks with kids... otherwise, you are sharing their BACKWASH! YUCK!