Well, No One's Gonna Top That

Today was Cody's last day of school. Team Last went to pick him up, and on the way home Cordy and I congratulated him on a great year -- on being brave, and kind, and hard-working. On becoming a reader, and a writer. Most of all, on being a good friend. I suggested we stop at Starbucks for a little treat for each of them, to celebrate. Perhaps a cookie. Or a frappuccino. I was giddy. Then:

CJP: Could I have a cookie all to myself? A WHOLE cookie, to celebrate? (Usually I make them share one -- they're big.)
Me: Sure -- but not also a frappuccino.
CML: Can I have a cookie too? All to myself?
Me: You may. But again, instead of a frappuccino -- not along with it. 
CML: Well, I'm going to eat it all to myself.
Me: See, here's a good opportunity to practice kindness. What you could say instead would be something like, "Cody, I'm so excited to celebrate your last day of school. Why don't we share our cookies? I'd love to share with you."
CML: Well, I don't want to share. I want to have it all myself. 
Me: That's not being kind, though. That's being selfish.
CML: Well, then I want to be selfish.

At which point I just put my head down on the steering wheel and stifled a laugh. What do you say to that?

This is a follow-on to something that happened last week at the playground. Jonathan took her, and while they were there, a four-year-old girl was following her around, totally sweet and excited to have someone about her own size. Cordelia apparently looked at her disdainfully and then shouted across the (empty) playground: "DADDY! I do not like this girl."

JVL forced her to apologize and frog-marched her home. He was so exasperated: the child had been doing nothing, absolutely nothing, to warrant that reaction. Later, I brought it up to see what she would say. Here's her response when I asked what happened:

CML: Well there was a little girl on the swing, and I was on the swing, and then we were climbing up the slide and I accidentally told her “I don’t like that girl.”

SLL: You don't really say something like that by accident. Do you think you hurt her feelings?

CML: Yeah. I’m sorry for doing that.

SLL: Well, that's good. Did you apologize?

CML: No. But tomorrow when I see her I will. But if I just don’t like her when I see her again, I'll tell you. And you will stand up for me! 

SLL: Well. It doesn't sound like anyone needed to stand up for you. It sounds like she was rather kind.

CML: Yeah. She was really friendly. But I just didn't like her.