Monday Listicles - Oh, No You Didn't!

I have one friend who is an only child of only children.  She herself has two boys.  We have had conversations about how difficult it can be to see her kids fight, since neither she nor her parents ever experienced sibling rivalry.  Two boys was a bit of a rude awakening to how those of us with siblings lived.

I grew up with 5 siblings, so I knew exactly what I was in for when I had mine.  Doesn't mean I'm still not baffled by the things they fight over. 

For this week's Listicles, I give you...

10 Oh, No You Didn't Moments

aka stupid things my kids have fought about over the years
aka stupid things my siblings and I also fought over when we were young (aka through last year)

1.  One child clearly has to "go", and is quickly on his way to the bathroom, when another runs faster and slides into position in front of the child about to wet himself, despite the fact we have three toilets in the house. 

2.  While the table is still being set for dinner, one child sits down.  I then ask that child to get hot pads (or some such thing).  Upon return, he finds a sibling sitting in his chair, despite the fact no one is assigned a seat and no one is supposed to sit until the table is ready.

3.  These conversations:

Kid 1:  We went to PE today.
Kid 2:  We went to PE today.
Kid 1:  We played soccer.
Kid 2:  We played soccer.
(all possible, as all grades generally play the same thing at PE each week.)
Kid 1 (to test Kid 2):  I am 30 years old.
Kid 2:  I am 30 years old.

Game on.

4.  Kid 1 was reading a book/playing with a toy, then leaves it on the floor and leaves the room.  Upon return, finds a sibling reading the book/playing with the toy and claims, "Hey, I was reading that," despite the fact he left it on the floor 5 hours ago.

5.  When we first bought the big van, this happened on a daily basis.  Worst year of driving ever.  When the radio is on, one child sings along quite loudly.  Child behind the singer doesn't like the singer's voice, so tugs on the seatbelt of the singer, thus locking the seatbelt.  Singer is stuck in the upright position unless he unbuckles and lets the belt back into it's storage position. 

6.  I washed, dried, folded, and lovingly placed the kids' clothes on their beds for them to put away.  When children are putting clothes away, one finds that he was given a sibling's shirt.  He throws the shirt to the sibling.  (Oh, I can't tell you how many knock-down drag-outs have been caused by this move.)

7.  Two or more kids are playing a game.  There is a disagreement about the rules, and someone calls another a "cheater".  (My kids have done this countless times, but it never escalated to the extreme I took it with my sister.  She cheated (yes, she did!), my mom refused to get involved and make her play fairly, so I ran away.  I got about a mile away from home before my mom caught up with me.  (I was headed to Grandma's house four miles away.))

8.  Child 1 is pouring syrup on his pancakes.  Child 2 gets nervous that there won't be any left for him and yells, "Don't take it all!"  Child 1 continues to pour.  Child 2 loses his mind, despite the fact we have an unopened bottle on the counter.  (This also applies to milk, water, Legos, or anything else we may have at one time had in limited supply.)

9.  Child 1 is reading a book.  Child 2 is bored, goes to Child 1, and says, "I won, you lost."  Child 1 disagrees.  Child 2 repeats his claim.  Fight ensues, despite the fact that they never were even playing a game.

10.  Child 1 and Child 2 are sitting in the back seat.  Something is in the middle.  The thing in the middle slides a bit onto Child 1 when driver takes a turn.  Child 1 pushes the thing in the middle back off of himself, accidentally pushing it onto Child 2.  Child 2 finds this to be uncomfortable, and pushes it not so gently off of himself, which makes it slide back onto Child 1.  Fight ensues, despite the fact that the "something" in the middle is usually Turken and his booster seat.

Ah, kids.  Fortunately, we (usually) grow out of them.

As I type, I am not joking when I say two little boys are now standing in front of me screaming, "He did pull my shirt!!" and "He was blocking me!!" 

I must go now.

What do your kids (or did you and your sibling(s)) fight over?

Have a lovely day!