Kid art, kid psychology

More and more, Josh and I have noticed how troubled big sister Z gets when A is upset. She hates to see (or hear) her cry and frequently demands we just "give in" to A's requests to get her to feel better faster.

She's also taken to cheering up her sister herself, hugging her, patting her back or head, giving her toys and drawing her pictures of happy scenes, like these of Chanukah and a birthday.

But lest you think Z's some kind of perfectly thoughtful sibling, realize that her kindness only goes so far. She'll only work at making A happy if she is not the cause of the distress. If she's snatched a toy away, refused to play with her or called her "a baby," she shows little regret.