We hit another milestone on this trip — the boys have started to fight over who gets to push the buttons in the elevator. Corwin has liked to do that for a while, but it’s only on this trip that Charles has started to assert his right to push buttons. it’s bearable right now because there are naturally two buttons to push (calling the elevator and selecting the floor), but I’m not sure what we will be able to do once Alice is a button pusher as well.
FWIW, a few ways I have dealt with just this problem (depending primarily on current patience level):
1. A rotating set of 2 button-pushers over multiple elevators. (downside: requires extensive recordkeeping, and even then the third child will swear I am misremembering who pushed last time).
2. Whichever children are most quiet or annoying me least at that moment get to push. (downside: there is often nobody left to push the button and the noise resumes as soon as I push the button).
3. “Hush up and quit yer yappin’. I’m pushing all the buttons from now on!” (downside: no known downsides, possible therapy costs later in life).
Are you telling me that girls fight over pushing the elevator button? What with this and the fountain thing, you’re really lowering my opinion of girl children. I thought Alice would be a pleasant change from the boyen (although she seems to be much more destructive than they were).