Them's Fightin' Words

My boys are best buddies. They really have fun together and look out for each other.

Oh, sure, they fight sometimes. But when they do, it's always about something significant and worthwhile.

Like this actual conversation I witnessed, on the topic of the alternate lyrics of "Happy Birthday":

click to enlarge

(Note: On the inside, I was also thinking about how, technically, it's "And you SMELL like one, too", but I'm not bringing it up because someone has to be the adult here).

When kids fight over seemingly trivial stuff, there's usually a bigger underlying reason. Like in the old Dr. Phil episodes (and maybe the current ones, I don't know), when a couple is fighting about buying chicken, he says usually it's not about the chicken.

I have found the theme that elevates these scuffles is as follows:
Big Bro: I like rules, and you need to follow rules, and I'm right and you need to acknowledge that.
Little Bro: I make my own rules.

It's kind of like a comments section debate (except they're actually kids, so it's not so bad).

So, to establish his position as the right one in the argument, Big Bro launches into a song to the tune of Jingle Bells as follows:
"Right-right-right, right-right-right..." 

All the while Little Bro is screaming "NO YOU'RE NOT".

I'm impressed with the problem-solving skills I've fostered in them to this point. #proudmommoment

I interrupt with something long and wordy about how he's said what he wants to say and can know where he stands and it's only making people upset and screaming is only for emergencies...

Big Bro sees I have valid points, but also just has to get in that last line of the "right right right" theme song, punctuated by a cymbal crash of "NO" followed by another attempted round of fisticuffs.

I never fought over silly stuff like that with my siblings... did I?

*Exhibit A: cartoon circa 1992; my brother and me doing the dishes*

Disclaimer: Some teenage artistic licence used. Also, how about those earrings?

Ooh, that smug routine would make me SO MAD!

But, like my own boys, we'd be friends again five minutes later.

Whoops, gotta go, I hear a feud brewing over whether the colour "golden yellow" exists.