I was reminded this morning that taking a moment to find out more information (and not making assumptions) can make a big difference to the outcome of an interaction.
I was using the laptop and Liam had been sitting next to me using the ipad, showing me what he was building and discovering on Minecraft. (And I'm constantly amazed at what he's doing on Minecraft - I had a go when I downloaded it and I couldn't figure out how to do anything, he's picked it up and learnt so much in only a week or so - and yesterday he showed me the highest mountain in his world, which he has named Mt Everest - I didn't know that he knew about Mt Everest!)
I'd gotten up out of my chair for some reason, and when I came back and sat down, he climbed into my lap and put the ipad on the keyboard of the laptop. I said 'that's not going to work' so he picked it up, but I still couldn't see over his head or easily reach the keyboard so that I could comfortably use the computer. I was initially frustrated and wanted to just move him off my lap so I could do MY stuff... but I breathed for a minute and explained that he was so big now that I couldn't see if his head was in front of me like that, and I suggested that he move back to the chair he had been in, but that I'd bring it closer to mine (cos I assumed that he was in my lap because he wanted to be close to me physically). He said 'but I need to be near the charger!' - which was on the other side of me to where he'd been sitting - so then I was able to plug the ipad in to the charger, put him on my chair, and move the laptop over to where he had been sitting, and we were both happy.
It was only a brief interaction but it could have turned into frustration so easily - however because I'd been able to listen to what he wanted rather than jumping to my own conclusions and enacting my initial solution, we were able to be joyfully together and both have our needs met quite easily.
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