Fighting

“I’m playing with my balloon.” Daniel told me with a smile on his face.

“I WAS GOING TO PLAY WITH THAT!” Hannah said in that really obnoxious whingey, whiney voice as she bounded out of her room with her hands on her hips upon hearing Daniel’s toy choice.

“Well you weren’t playing with it, and you didn’t say you wanted to play with it, so Daniel can play with it right now” I told her.

“But I was about to go and get it.” She told me, as if I would suddenly steal the balloon away from Daniel and joyfully place it in her hands instead.

This scenario is played out many, many times every day. Not just with Hannah wanting something Daniel is playing with, but vice versa as well. It seems like every time one of them has something, the other wants it too, even if he/she was happily playing with something else.

I never used to understand why moms of twins buy two of everything. Two of the same outfit, two of each toy. When I only had one kid, I thought that was a total waste of money. Couldn’t one twin play with one toy while the other played with something different?

Ha. Not. Even. Close. My kids may not be twins, but I suspect that with twins, this whole sibling rivalry thing starts much earlier and is probably more intense. Considering Hannah and Daniel’s constant fighting makes me feel like screaming, or running away or something, I can definitely see the value in buying two of everything now. After all, you can’t put a price on sanity.

It’s not even limited to actual toys though. When we’re in the car, they fight over imaginary things too.

“Mommy, can I have Milo?” Daniel asks me. As in Milo from Milo and Otis. I hold out my hand and he pretends to take Milo from it, happy that he is in possession of his favourite cat.

“Can I have Milo too?” Hannah asks. I repeat the process, handing Milo to her this time.

“I have Milo.” Daniel tells me happily as he pats his pretend cat.

“No, I have Milo.” Hannah says grumpily.

“You both have Milo. I gave one to each of you, remember.”

“I have Milo.” Daniel says, taking the fight bait that Hannah put out for him.

“I HAVE MILO!” Hannah yells.

“NO I HAVE MILO.” Daniel yells back.

Eventually Daniel starts crying as he shouts that he has Milo and Hannah’s grumpiness turns to anger.

It’s not always about Milo. Sometimes it’s about Otis, or sometimes they argue about who Hannah’s imaginary friend Meet Lilly is sitting next to. Sometimes it’s about which toy they will play with when they get home. But it’s always something. Every car ride. Every day.

By themselves, they are both sweet, lovely kids, but together they turn into little fighting monsters and I have no idea how to make it stop.

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