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Faigy's Little Brother Won't Stop Copying

Ages 6-9 | Story and 9 activities

Everything Faigy does, her little brother Shaya does, too.

When she puts on her coat, he puts on his. When she sits at the table with a book, he sits beside her with a book, upside down. When she hums in the bathroom, he hums along.

"Stop copying me!" says Faigy.

"Stop copying me," says Shaya, with a big grin.

"I mean it!"

"I mean it!"

Faigy throws her hands in the air. "Mommy! Shaya keeps copying everything I say!"

Mommy looks up from the dishes. "Mm. That must be frustrating."

"It's SO annoying."

"He's four. Do you know why he does it?"

"Because he wants to bug me?"

Mommy dries her hands. "I think it's because he thinks you're wonderful. You're his big sister. You know how to read and tie shoes and ride a scooter. He wants to be like you."

Faigy blinks. "He does?"

"He watches you all day."

Faigy looks down the hall. Shaya is standing in the doorway, holding a book, and watching with big eyes. When he sees her looking, he ducks behind the wall. A tiny giggle comes out.

Faigy's anger melts just a bit. She's never thought of it that way.

She walks over. "Shaya, do you want to read together?"

His face lights up. "Yes!"

She sits on the carpet and opens a picture book. He cuddles beside her. This time, she holds the book so he can see too.

"This is a bear," she says, pointing.

"Bear," says Shaya, in a small voice.

"This is a cave."

"Cave."

Faigy turns the pages, and he echoes every word. It doesn't feel annoying anymore. It feels like teaching.

"You're a good reader," she tells him.

"You're a good reader," he says, and she laughs.

That afternoon, Faigy has an idea. She takes out a large piece of paper and two sets of crayons. "Shaya, do you want to play Copy Me? I do a shape, and you do it."

She draws a circle. He draws a lopsided circle. She draws a triangle. He draws something with five corners. She draws a happy face. He draws a happy face, with three eyes.

"That's wonderful!" says Faigy. "Now you do one and I'll copy you."

Shaya thinks hard. He makes a big squiggle. Faigy draws a squiggle. He squeals with delight.

They play until Mommy calls them for supper. At the table, Shaya tries to eat his soup exactly like Faigy, and she lets him.

Over the next week, Faigy notices something new. When she is kind, Shaya is kind. When she says thank you, he says thank you, loudly and a little early. She starts to think of it as a very small, very serious job.

One morning, Shaya puts on two different socks, one striped and one plain, because Faigy did it by accident. She laughs and says, "Let's match them tonight, and we'll both be neat." He nods seriously.

At night, when she says Shema, she hears a small voice beside her bed. Shaya is standing in his pajamas, whispering along with her. She doesn't tell him to stop. She just says the words a little slower, so he can catch up.