Love hurts

Emily went through a phase of biting - it end a few weeks ago now. Sometimes it was playful, sometimes frustration and sometimes unknown... I've read somewhere that it's supposed to be a sign of affection - but that's one show of affection I'm not keen to encourage.

Well, maybe it was sisterly affection but we'd occasionally hear a scream from Alice - just after Emily had sunk her teeth into her. Half sisterly love and half frustration at being kept out of a game I suspect.

Well, this behaviour has disappeared now. But the sisterly "tough love" does continue, sometimes with a dry observational element...

The other week Emily was crying - combination of tiredness and mealtime. At the same time that I was going to try and get something for her to nibble on, Alice walked through the doorway carrying a small plastic chair - she was tidying away.

However, in her effort to hold the chair aloft and avoid Emily she managed to have a direct hit between chair leg and Emily's forehead. This didn't improve Emily's humour. Alice checked there was no harm done and I said I'd take care of Emily.

Then as Alice left she made the observation, "lucky that Emily was already crying." Yes, from a child's perspective, the situation wasn't any worse... Tough love, indeed!