Blackmail

"I'm not going to be your friend anymore."

I looked up to see the Preschooler's playdate buddy (A.) walking out of the bedroom, with the Preschooler (P.) in hot pursuit. P. busted past A., into the playroom and claimed the child size vacuum cleaner before A. could, to which A. responded again: "I'm not your friend anymore." P. came to me and told me what happened (ah the naivete -- not realizing that Mommy can hear you in the next room...), and so I asked "why did A. say that?" (non judgemental, trying to teach P. how to deal with conflict). P. and I reasoned out that A. really did have prior claim, and so without further prompting P. went back in and said "Here A., you can have a turn first." To which A. said "Okay, I'll be your friend now."

Ah, the blackmail starts early with us women.

How do you explain blackmail to a Preschooler? All I know is I'm going to try, because I think it's important they understand what they are doing to each other. The future ramifications are huge.