Saying Yes

Simon is a typical second child in that his favorite form of entertainment is his older sibling.  Most of the time, this is nice.  The mere privilege of watching Asher goof around makes Simon smile and sometimes even laugh.  Simply having Asher in the room can make Simon happier.  Once in a while, however, it encourages Asher's bad behavior.  If Asher does something he shouldn't and laughs about it, Simon smiles too, convincing Asher that he's an epic comedian.  When Asher pushes Simon, smashes him, or grabs his toys, Simon will often repay the brutality with a grin, delighted by the attention from his favorite celebrity, regardless of the form it takes.   

I've spent a fair amount of time over the last several months telling Asher to stop ________ing Simon, be more gentle, or something else along those lines.  Recently, however, I feel like I've figured out Simon's... uh... Asher abuse threshold, and I've been letting anything that doesn't make him cry slide (except the toy snatching).  As often seems to be the case, a little chilling out on my part makes for better days all around.  This past while, I've been spending a lot less time saying "no" to Asher and a lot more time watching moments like this: