Assertiveness

We were at the playground today and just as we were getting ready to leave another family came over to play. Well, this is heaven for Henry as he loves other kids. But he also struggles with sharing, and so as a little girl (younger than he) was trying to play with the tractor, he approached her and began pushing her away. I intervened and pried my son's hands loose (which I hate to do) and set to managing my noodle legged, screaming child. We had a talk. "This behavior is not ok," I tell him. "We don't push, grab, hit people. We take turns, and you had walked away from the tractor. It was her turn." I tell him.

Next stop: Library. Here Henry gravitates immediately to the kids computer, which I wish they would just get rid of because it is not needed, kids sit too long at it, it's a distraction, and a point of contention with all the kids. (Sounds a lot like how adults are with public computers, now that I think of it.) So, this boy is sitting at the computer, and he looks like he's been there for awhile, and staying put. So, I announce to Henry that he has to wait his turn. Fine. He waits. And waits. He plays with other things. Then, he comes back and looks at me and says, "My turn?" Well. YO KID. Get off the computer, I wanna yell.

Instead I say, "why don't you ask the boy if you can have a turn?"
Oh, I want to do this for him, I want to, I want to, and in a way, I am since I say all of this out loud and as it happens, his mom is sitting nearby. She informs him that it's time for him to get off the computer. He doesn't, she doesn't do anything, Henry loses interest. Next thing I see is Henny standing next to the boy and very appropriately saying, "Boy," then garble garble garble, "computer". YEA HENRY!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SO proud. He does it beautifully and I LOVE that he calls the kid, "Boy".

The kid gets up and moves over to his mom and starts crying because he wants to use the computer. His mom tells him that he had his turn. Damn right.