Mine!

Mary Lawton is going through a serious "Mine!" phase complete with grabbing, snatching, hoarding, etc. (Lord, please let this be a phase.) If you even come near her when she is holding something, she starts screaming "MINE!" She was screaming in the bathtub the other night while Sweet LJ was bathing her, I looked in, and she was crouching over a bath toy so he couldn't get it.

I've read this is normal for her age and that we should model sharing and encourage sharing and taking turns. We do, but it really doesn't seem to be helping.

Today when I dropped her off at daycare (and lately she walks into the room yelling "MINE!" and making a beeline for the first kid she sees with a toy), it popped into my head that this seems to be causing her some anxiety. She is so happy and cheerful at home, but at school she seems distressed and anxious. She can't enjoy what she has because she's so worried about what she doesn't have.

Maybe I'm over-analyzing this, but moms out there, please weigh in if you have any suggestions.