Wednesday, May 26, 2010

benevolence via Legos

The elder lad is showing some endearing signs of growing in the virtues of charity and generosity -- and the development of industry, conscience, and the need for reparation.  Yesterday morning while I was getting his younger brother and sister ready for the day, he was busy constructing a "forest fire truck" out of Legos for his brother.  He thought this activity and design up himself.

"Remember how I was kinda mean yesterday?" he said when he was explaining himself (referring, perhaps, to having taken apart his brother's Lego fire truck to pillage parts for his own).  "I thought I would make this for the person I was mean to."  The younger lad was so thrilled and thankful, and relished playing with the custom vehicle.  Every time the windshield came off (and it did a lot, as these are the "little Legos" we're talking about now -- not Duplos anymore -- that the elder lad prefers), the elder lad would patiently and happily snap it back on for his brother.  He's been showing more restraint and patience toward his younger brother, too -- not all the time, but with enough frequency to be commendable (and we do -- commend him, that is). 

Little Legos are, by the way, his self-described favorite toy of the moment.  He perches on a kitchen chair and constructs the vehicles according to the instructions by himself, then takes them apart and engineers his own trucks and other designs.

When the lass wanted to commandeer the truck trailer he later moved on to later and stuff it full of Duplos (because those are usually in play too), the elder lad fetched a similar truck for her to use.  She was delighted.   He and his brother have been very tender and patient with her as she's been suffering with this ear infection.

The sibling relationships aren't always as rosy, but these recent episodes and several others like them have shown some heartening glimmers of harmony.  Mama is greatly encouraged...

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts with Thumbnails