Give a little bit…

In the week leading up to Halloween, one of Charlotte and Luke’s great aunts gave them each $5 to get an ice cream for Halloween.

A couple of weeks later, we decided to use the money for dinner and an ice cream at Friendly’s.  When I told Charlotte that her $5 would pay for not just her ice cream but would cover her entire meal, she thought for a moment before saying, “Dad, I’ll pay for your meal, too.”  (I suppose it is the thought that counts.)

For a four year old and a two year old, Charlotte and Luke are pretty good at sharing, particularly with their Halloween candy

They are each allowed one piece of Halloween candy a day, and whenever they have one they also offer one to me and Karen.  They usually remember which ones are our favorites. 

Luke does usually expect a bite in return.  As soon as he hands me a piece of candy, he’ll ask, with hopeful eyes, “Dad, can I try?”  And, given the size of Halloween candy in relation to the size of Luke’s bites, he usually ‘tries’ over half of my candy.  (Charlotte tends to be more of a nibbler.)  Whenever they’re having a snack or treat, even if it’s something they love that they don’t have a lot of, they almost always offer to share. 

Of course, they’re not completely unselfish.  They fight over toys and argue about turns probably about as much as most brothers and sisters.  Once in a while, if we suggest Luke share something, he’ll respond with an emphatic and anguished, “No!” in a tone that implies, “How could you even ask?!”  But more often than not, he’ll change his mind within 10 minutes and, without any prompting, decide to share.

What can I say, my kids are givers.

I hope you enjoyed today’s serving of ‘mac & cheese.’