Recently I had the privilege to help out in a toddler play group. Several adoptive mommies were meeting for a few training classes and doing some intake paperwork. So I volunteered to help out in the playroom.

There were about six little ones. Scattered from the precious age of one month old up to the age of five.

One little boy and girl really caught my interests.
She was giving him a taste of tough love. She would walk up smack him in the head with a toy and then as he stood there and cried. She would hug him and kiss on him to comfort him.

Observing this more than a few times. It was obvious to me and the other playroom attendant that this little girl must have had some strange life experiences before adoption.

We comforted the little guy and moved him to a new area to play. It would be no time that the little girl would be back there knocking him to the floor and sitting on him to make him cry. Then again she would kiss and hug him and console him.

Finally we had to give the little girl a time out.
Which made her cry. You could see the concern on the little boys face but the fear in his eyes that
she might hit him again.

We noticed the five year old was into watching cartoons and just going about his own business.
The two four year olds were coloring and drawing pictures at a table.

Our biggest issue was keeping our little Romeo and Juliet from a harsh unromantic ending. (smile)

We had a chance to talk to the adoptive parents after the meeting. They had also observed this kind of behavior out of the little girl on many occasions.

She is just sweet as pie when she is alone. But she has issues in play groups. We encouraged them to keep her in play groups and to attend with her so that she can be taught how to play with out hitting.

It is very cool what you learn in a day of toddler observation. Only if we could bottle that energy and market it. (giggle)

What kind of behaviors have caught your attention in your toddlers? Share some of your experiences and give us some feed back on what makes your toddler distribute love and play time activity?