A lesson learned

Bearing in mind that Amber is incapable of holding a grudge, she sure seemed to get a little revenge this morning for Millie’s withering put-down yesterday.

I came downstairs this morning and found the two of them at the kitchen table drawing and colouring…

ME: Good morning, beautiful children!

GIRLS: Hmm.

ME: And what would you like for breakf-  Oh, what’s this?

(points at dining room floor, which is strewn with felt-tip pens – LOTS of felt-tip pens)

AMBER: Millie did that, I’m not using pens.

(Millie, tellingly, says nothing – ordinarily she’d shout if this had even a hint of untruth to it)

ME: Well, every single one of those needs picking up before we have breakfast.

MILLIE: Amber…can you help me?

ME: Amber didn’t use them, Millie.  If this was the other way round you’d be the first person screaming that “Amber did it!” and “Why should I help?!“

MILLIE: Yeah, but…

(Millie reluctantly starts picking up pens from the floor; I turn away and start making breakfast)

MILLIE: (muttering) Amber, if you don’t help me I won’t let you play with Rapunzel (a doll).

Amber gets herself spoon out of the drawer and waits patiently at the dining table.

MILLIE: You could help me, Amber!

Amber smiles.  And stays sat down.

MILLIE: This is going to take about a million years!

ME: You know, Amb, you could help Millie…

(Amber nonchalantly flicks through a colouring book)

MILLIE: Fine, then I’m not going to play Harry Potter with you on the computer.

ME: (laughing) Millie, the number of times I’ve heard you shout “It’s Amber’s mess!  She’s got to clear it up!  I didn’t do it!”  Let this be a lesson to you: sometimes it pays to help people, even when their problems are nothing to do with you, just to be nice.

Here endeth the lesson.

Well, not quite – I had to intervene later because Millie wouldn’t make space for Amber on the computer chair.  Otherwise, nicely done, Amb!

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