Quick, Find a Sibling

One of the most interesting dynamics in our large family is that when a child gets in trouble, they quickly look for a sibling who is doing something wrong and try to divert attention from themselves. And, the lower the IQ, the more interesting the connection. For example, the more sophisticated will reach back for a similar situation in history that is connected to the current event. For example, “I understand that you were in the kitchen last night after bedtime” to which the response is, “well, a week ago last Thursday, Dominyk ate THREE cookies and TWO pickles in the kitchen at 11:07. I found him there when I had to go to the bathroom downstairs because the someone was in the upstairs bedroom.”

The less sophisticated, however, might respond this way when confronted with “I understand that you were in the kitchen last night after bedtime” with something brilliant like, “Well, Tony hardly ever brushes his teeth.”