Responsibility

Patti: You know Sophia, Nethru called yesterday

Sophia: No No! No patti!

I raised an eyebrow "Whats going on?"

Patti: Sophia, Nethra wants a teddy bear. You have so many teddy bears, I'll take one from acasa?


Sophia: No!


Patti: Then can you give your toy to Nethra?


Sophia: No!


Patti: Fine. You dont have to give your toys. But you know, your daddy has a cube. Can you give that cube to ammu? He can play with it when he is sitting down


Sophia: No. Its my daddy's cube


Patti: You dont give even one small bead from your house!!


Me: Sophia, Can you give Nethra that bead toy that is under the table?


Sophia: Yes. Patti, you can take that toy to Nethu


Patti: I can? (quite surprised)


Sophia: Yes. It is in your houshe so you can give


Me: What about the pig


Sophia: Ish ok. you can give the pig alsho


We got up to leave.


"I'll leave the swimming stuff here" I said, "and Sophia's ballet shoes"

"No!"

"But we always go swimming from here on Saturdays. No point lugging them around"

"No. Ish oursh!"

"I know it is our's but we can leave them here and take them later"

"No!"

And then she did a round of patti's house rounding up all our stuff that was lying around - like the sheets of cardboard for the guinea pig cage

Between Anjali and Sophia, Sophia is more responsible and takes my threats of throwing things away if they are not cleaned up more seriously

"She lugs Anjali's bag and waterbottle on the way after picking Anjali from the busstop", said husband

"No she doesnt", said Anjali

"Not all the time", said husband, as Sophia came running to us in the playground, lugging not only her shoes, but also Anjali's shoes when it was time to go home, "some times"

"Not sometimes", said Anjali, "and not all the time"