One Christmas when Oscar was around 4 or 5 he received a lovely book from one of his aunts or uncles.  A little while after he had opened his present, another aunt or uncle asked if they could look at his lovely new book, to which Oscar answered  “No”. 

I was pretty cross with this, and so began to insist that he handed it over to which he continued to refuse and I kept insisting, which then became a rather embarrassing scene of us wrangling with each other over this book and us both becoming more defiant! eventually Oscar ran out of the room and I sat down, red in the face and rather mortified about the scene which had just played out in front of everyone there including Auntie Vera.

After a few moments passed, Auntie Vera very calmly and gently said to me “I quite understand how he feels..why should he hand over a book that he has only just received. I’m sure in time he will let others see it, don’t worry.”

Best advise ever..I will always admire her fiercely intellectual and rational thinking, things were always to be fair and carefully considered.