How to Make Friends

Cody, Legend, Cash and I are enjoying an evening at the park. We have it all to ourselves for a little while, then a family of three girls arrives, much to my boys' delight. Cash assumes he will instantly have some more friends to play with.

Cash - "Hey look, Legend. Friends."

Legend pays them no mind for the moment, interested more in gravel and dirt than other humans.

Cash charges at one of the girls, a couple years older than him. "Legend! Get her! Get her!"

He puts on his best snarly, mean face and thoroughly expects the girl to squeal (either playfully or in sincere, either will do) and run away like Kayla usually does.

The girl looks at him, unimpressed, and tries her best to ignore him while he stomps around her.

Cash eggs Legend on to join him - "Get her! Get her!"

I walk over and kneel down so that I am eye to eye with Cash. 

I speak quietly so he know it is something just for him to hear, like I am sharing a secret.

"Girls like boys who smile and are nice and kind, not boys who pretend to be mean. She doesn't like your mean talk. If you want to be friends, try saying 'Hi, want to play with me?' Okay?"

Cash looks at me like he finally understands the difference between the sexes. 

He nods gravely - "Okay, Auntie."

Soon he and the girl are playing a great game on the slide. I can't quite figure out the rules or premise, but both are smiling and laughing.