No sexism, please, we’re toddlers

“No, Timmy! This is only for girls!”

It’s a shape puzzle, but I don’t need to know that to respond.

“Anna. There are no ‘only for girls’ toys in my house. There are no ‘only for boys’ toys, either. All the toys are for any children.”

Timmy encroaches further. Anna pulls the puzzle toward her.

I understand Anna’s protectiveness. Timmy’s favourite toy is almost always the one the other guy is holding. It doesn’t matter if he has an armful of something completely engrossing. Someone else can walk by with one tiny thing, and suddenly that’s the ONE THING he wants to play with — has to play with.

It’s not greediness or possessiveness in Timmy’s case. The other person’s attention to their thing draws his. I think his mind goes something like this: “I have this toy, this toy is fun, I like thi — OOOO! SOMETHING SHINY!” So no, it’s not greed or anything malicious. It is, however, a royal pain. It is also not surprising the others get a little tired of Timmy’s interest in their toys.

However, there are at least a hundred shapes in the bin, red, yellow, purple, blue, green, triangles, squares, diamonds, trapezoids, hexagons… with a dozen wooden picture plates to put them on. Plenty to share. Dozens and dozens to share.

“No, Timmy, this is only for…” Anna glances up. Probably felt the heat of my Evil Eye burning through the top of her head. She hesitates, a look of consternation on her face.

Then breaks into a beaming smile.

“… only for girls and boys!”

I smile, too. Anna smiles back, more so.

Anna gives Timmy one. red. hexagon. He smiles, too.

It’ll do.