Trait:
If one person gets something, everyone must get the same. An imbalance — real or perceived — cannot be left alone.
What it can look like:
Intense distress if a sibling gets something they didn't
Keeping score across days, weeks, sometimes months
Needing to even something out before they can move on
Watching carefully for fairness in every interaction
Feeling wronged by things that weren't meant as favouritism
This isn't jealousy or pettiness.
The brain is running a constant fairness audit — and an unresolved imbalance feels genuinely threatening, not just annoying.
Gentle guidance:
Acknowledge the imbalance before explaining it
Avoid "life isn't fair" — it closes the door without helping
Where you can, even things up — it costs little and means a lot
Help them track the bigger picture: "remember when you got to choose last time?"
A child who equalises is a child with a fierce sense of justice. 🌿