Whenever the little girl across the street came to play with my children we would end up with a fight involving my son. She would cry out for me and when I looked, sure enough, he was hitting her. But something seemed odd so I began watching more closely. Sometime during the play she would begin running up close to him and I watched her hand. She would push him or hit him. Finally, he would hit her.
Then, when she cried out for me that my son was hitting her I sent her home. She was upset because it was not her fault but I did not respond. I only sent her home. Within a few visits the fighting stopped.
Reluctance to simplify
Anonymous, California