Maya's just getting to the age where she will complain if another little boy or girl takes away something that she is playing with. It's the beginning of that long, long educational road to "plays well with others."
Luckily there are even etiquette books for things like playing at the playground. Please Play Safe!: Penguin's Guide to Playground Safety, by Margery Cuyler and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand, is a guide for children learning the subtle nuances of taking turns and being gentle.
Penguin covers a lot of ground, from how to exit a seesaw, to wearing a helmet when you ride a scooter.
I'm not sure about the format of the lessons. They go like this:
"When Rhino plays in the sandbox with his friend, he should kick sand in his face. KICK! KICK! Is that right?" Turn the page. "No, that's wrong. When Rhino plays in the sandbox, he should ask his friend to help him dig. SCOOP! SCOOP!"
Some of you with older children could probably comment about whether it's a good idea to list the undesired behavior first and the desired behavior second. Nonetheless, try this book out if you're looking for some help with this rite of passage for most youngsters.
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