Strategy

Sam has come up with a new strategy in dealing with Ben's attempts to get his hands on whatever Sam is doing...

Earlier today I told Sam, "If you're playing over there and you don't want your brother to mess with what you're doing, just put something in between him and what you're playing with that he's interested in...it may distract him."...and it worked like a charm.

And then later I hear Sam yelling, "blockin' road, blockin' road"...translation, "road block"...and this is what I see...

Sam was playing with his green garbage truck and Ben was on the other side of the room, so Sam made a "barricade" using other vehicles to keep Ben from getting to his garbage truck.

Here's Ben being blocked by the barricade of vehicles...

Sam is having such a hard time dealing with Ben these days.  I first tried to protect everything Sam was doing from Ben, but quickly realized that wasn't going to work without putting up a physical barrier.  So, I've just been trying to teach Sam that everything is there for both of them to play with...sharing and taking turns.  (Along with a few strategies and ways to distract Ben.)  Today was better than yesterday.  Yesterday...whew!...Sam had 4 screaming fits during which I had to carry him to his room while he was screaming (and making Ben cry) and trying to hit me.  Today, I think he had one.  He's learning that Ben usually plays with something for about 30 seconds before moving on to something else.  The toughest part is still when Ben is approaching something Sam has built...a train/road, something with the blocks, etc.  I do try to step in and keep Ben from destroying Sam's construction projects because he is so proud of those things.  But, Sam's also learning that sometimes things get knocked down and then I help put it back together.  He's also doing better with keeping his hands off of Ben, and asking an adult to move him.  I think it was just three days ago that Ben was trying to get something Sam was playing with and Sam dropped a shoulder down on Ben, and did a sly little shoulder push, taking Ben's arms out from under him.  We're all learning how to handle this new life with a busy baby.