A Parade of Sharing

I didn't have time to post this last weekend, it was so busy! But here's an update on last weekend's fun. :D I wish I had some photos but I don't because my camera battery was dead when I grabbed it and I have still not found the charger! :(

Last Wednesday marked the start of the local yearly carnival. I love that it's early in the year as compared to most other cities' August and September carnivals because it seems I have a habit of being pregnant and about ready to pop around those end of summer months. ;) Besides, we get PARADES so double yippie-skippy! :D The kiddie parade was on a weekday evening and the kids loved it. Made out like bandits with the candy supply, which I have put up to ration out to them. There was a super sweet little girl who was sharing with my daughter too and that made my day. So many times when you go out to an event with little kids you get bombarded with other people's reasons why they don't want any more kids. By which I mean wild uncontrolable brats making life miserable for the other eventgoers, and tired uncaring parents ignoring them. Which is presumably why, when we arrived at the main parade on the weekend, the young man with a toddler girl whom we sat by immediately looked less than thrilled to have company. Infact, when I smiled at him and sat down, he looked pretty close to hostile. I almost got up and left. But I didn't, we sat right there beside them and God's blessings -innocent children- turned everything around. After a while another family with a little girl came and sat on the other side. And then, while waiting for the parade to start, the shy and sullen little girl with the unfriendly dad started sneaking smiles at Buggie and then talking to him- until her presumed dad moved her to sit between his feet away from us. After the candy throwing started, I encouraged Chicklet that since she'd gotten such a big handfull of candy she should share a piece or two with one of the other little girls. She gave some to the girl with the unfriendly dad. You should have seen the dad's face. Instant 180. I wonder if he'd taken her last year and had to watch some bully child grab up all the candy and make his baby cry. I know the feeling and I too came to the parade with some fear and protectiveness bristling for my babies. When candy is involved it's easy to expect children to behave like animals with no restraint, because if their parents don't teach them and it's been done to them, they will learn it to be an expected behaviour and will repeat it because it's the only way they know of to get the desired candy. So when Chicklet shared a piece of candy with that girl, her dad looked at both me and Chicklet and thanked us with an open and shocked smile. And then when more candy was thrown, the little girl shared a piece with Chicklet and her dad watched with a proud smile instead of moving her away from us again. And then the little girl on the other side shared with Chicklet, and so next time Chicklet shared back with her. And an older girl from a few families down ran up the road closer to the middle, collecting the pieces too far out for the toddlers to safely get to, and then brought them in and gave them to the intended recipients. It was an experience that was heartwarming as a parent. You always wonder what other people's kids are going to do that you will need to do damage control with your babies for later. But I am so happy to say that this was a parade experience that all those little ones, mine included, learned how awesome it feels to share, and what a great chain reaction it starts. :) Everyone walked away loaded down with candy, but more importantly, with smiles and a warm heart.