Well, I made him money

Ian is busy, extending string around the clipboard area: It has string. My clipboard is attached. It’s a fence. I made it. I attach it all the way up here. That’s the door. What’s inside the fence? Nothing.

Suddenly, Ian tosses a blue white board marker inside his “fence,” followed by yellow and pink markers and an eraser.

Ian ties the red string onto the big basket. I need to tie it. (He goes inside fence) Can I go into your fence, Ian, or should I stay outside? Stay outside. And this is my bed. (climbing into the cabinet shelf)

Luca, on the other side of the cabinet, sets out wooden pieces: We need to buy these. There’s a store here. If you want to buy something you have to go over there. (to the other side of the cabinet, where Ian’s fence is, although Luca doesn’t know this)

Emily (Luca’s mom) asks Is it ok if I go inside your fence?

Ian: No.

But Luca jumps over the fence, into the store: You need some money. This is your money and you need to buy this too.

Ruthie likes this idea: I’m writing a list and I need some groceries.

Luca: Mama is making a list too.

Ruthie: My list is not ready. I have a list of food.

What’s on your list?

Ruthie: Apples, bananas….and oranges. And markers from the store.

Luca: And some orange bananas. (taking a yellow marker and giving it to Ruthie) No, not orange. (smiling at his mix up)

Ruthie: Yellow bananas…thanks.

Luca: Some of orange (hands her orange marker)

Ruthie: What’s this pink one for? What’s this?

Luca: Raspberries

 

Did you have those on your list? Luca thinks you should have some raspberries.

Ruthie: Oh. I’ll write those on my list. (writes:) Rasp- ber-ries.

Ian walks over and tells Diane: Can you tell them to not play store in there? Then he sits down beside Luca at the table.

Ruthie finds a black marker: More blackberries. (writing) black-ber-ries. (again) black-ber-ries. I got all the things I need. (then she packs up her groceries and list) And I need scissors.

Luca: Mama, You need some money too. That’s round and in a circle. (he sits down at the table to do it)

Now Ian hands some circles to Luca: Well, I made him money. And another one. (giving him more)

Often, children have different play ideas, and often, these ideas aren’t shared. While Ian’s priority is to protect his fence, Luca’s priority is to create a store. The locations of these play scenarios overlap, creating a conflict. Both children want the other to move the location of their play, but neither of them can agree to. In this case, the conflict is never fully resolved. Yet Ian chooses to sit beside Luca, offering to make him money. He is smiling. We wonder what Ian’s thinking is, and how he arrived at this contented state of mind.