Swordplay

Tucker has always loved to play with swords. I guess it's in his Kazakh blood. We gave up long ago trying to teach nonviolence. After all, he sees me use "swords" and "sticks" when I practice Aikido, too. So I opted instead to teach him that there were rules regarding weapons. Rules like:

• Point it at me, and it's mine
• Soft swords only when playing with another person (the foam kind)
• No playing with someone who's defenseless.
• No playing with someone who doesn't want to play.
• Whoever plays the gentlest makes the rules.

So Tucker really wants to play with his sister. She's 3-1/2, and he's 4. He "gets" swords. She doesn't. Lord help me, but every time she picks up a sword and Tucker (gently) taps her on the head with his, she screams bloody murder. Oi.