I would like to think that as parents, we are teaching our kids a good value system. You know, things like, right from wrong and good behavior versus bad behavior. Then comes Easter. All rules are thrown out the window. There is no right and wrong when it comes to a two year old and an Easter egg hunt. Especially when they find out that it is not the hunt but the prize that is most important. They are still too young to care about anything other than gimme, gimme, gimme. We showed them how to play the game and forgot to tell them that there are rules.

For a two year old, the rules are as follows; If I find it, it’s mine. If you find it, it’s mine as well. Who knew that during the Easter egg hunt we would have to bring in the body guards and Mediator. Thankfully, they have learned to share with other kids. We don’t have to go through the embarrassment of telling the parents of other children “I’m Sorry your kids are slow and can’t fend for themselves.” Yes, my child did beat the pants off your child in the Easter Egg hunt. Stop raising sissy’s and step up to the plate.” But we still have to convince them that they have to also share with their own sibling. After we caught Reese stealing permanently borrowing eggs from the unattended basket of Kiera (Kiera needs to learn to protect her stash) we had to pull her aside and tell her that she had her own basket and that Kiera’s eggs were for Kiera. You know the drill, right?

Finally, we were able to show the kids that in each egg was a small toy or treat piece of delicious, glorious, candy. As I mentioned in the previous post, the only thing that really mattered in the end was the chocolate candy. All other candies were tossed onto the floor for dear old Dad to scrounge up and eat. So when the chocolate ran out, we had the scattered remains of Easter eggs, plastic toys that I’m sure our kids would choke on, and what looked like a mass murder at a chicken coup. Bits and pieces of plastic eggs and their innards everywhere.

Which brings me back to the point I was originally trying to make. Is it the hunt that is most important or the prize inside? Is it the journey or the destination in life that is most important? How can we teach our kids that sharing is more important than possession when we encourage promote an attitude of “She with the most eggs wins?” Okay, maybe I should just leave it alone lighten up. Enjoy Easter for what it is and spend the rest of the year teaching them the values that I find important.

I can’t wait until Christmas. Presents, presents, presents. Gimme, gimme, gimme.

[tags] Value systems for children, Easter Egg hunts, raising twins, parenting 101 [/tags]