Sasha and Carotte are not for sharing!

Sasha is 5 years old. She loves colors, soap bubbles, and most of all... Carotte! Carotte is a soft stuffed rabbit, orange with a white belly. Sasha sleeps with him, has snacks with him, and NEVER lends him to anyone. Not even to her dad!

Today is a special day: her cousin Mia is coming over to play! Sasha jumps around with joy. "We're going to have so much fun!" she says. Ding dong! Mia arrives with a huge smile and... a wild urge to touch everything.

The two friends build a giant tower of blocks. They draw a monster with three noses. They laugh so hard their tummies hurt! Everything is going great... until Mia spots Carotte, sitting on the bed.

"Oh, a bunny! Can I play with him?" says Mia, grabbing Carotte. "NO!" shouts Sasha, pulling the stuffed animal toward her. Mia pulls the other way. Pull... pull... CRASH! They both tumble to the floor.

Mia is angry. Sasha is angry. Carotte has one ear all bent out of shape. Nobody says a word. Sasha crosses her arms. Mia crosses her arms too. They look like two little volcanoes about to erupt!

Mom hears the noise and comes into the room. She doesn't scold them. She sits down on the floor with the girls and gently asks, "What happened?" Sasha sniffles, "Mia took Carotte without asking!" Mia replies, "I just wanted to play with him..."

Mom smiles. "I'm going to tell you a secret. You can share lots of things with your friends... BUT you also have the right to say NO for the things that matter very, very much to you. Like Carotte does for you, Sasha!"

Sasha takes a big breath. "Mia, Carotte has been my special toy since I was a baby, I don't want to lend him. But I can lend you my crayons and my block tower!" Mia smiles: "Okay! And next time, I'll ask you before I take a toy."

The girls invent a new game: before taking a toy, you have to say "Can I?" and wait for the answer. "Can I take the yellow crayon?" "Yes!" "Can I build the tower with you?" "Yes!" It's even more fun this way!

That evening, Mom carefully sews Carotte's ear back together. "You see," Sasha tells the little rabbit, "everything gets fixed, even our silly mistakes." Mia gently strokes the mended ear: "Your Carotte is so cute."

That night, thinking back on her day, Sasha understands something important: Sharing is kind. But saying no can be kind too, if you say it with gentle words. And asking before taking is the best way to keep your friends... and your favorite toys!

What about you — do you have a special toy or comfort object you never lend? What do you say when a friend wants to play with your favorite toys?