The rascal you see pictured above is my 1 and a half year old, Maddie. Lindsey and I often call her “The Destructor,” because she’s so rambunctious.

She also teases her elder sister Sadie—quite frequently.

I first noticed Maddie’s habit several months ago. If the girls are ever meant to share something, Maddie will usually dangle it in front of her sister, then rip it away at the last minute with a cute little chuckle grunt. Like her mother, Sadie would never do something like this, nor does she find pleasure in doing so.

I, on the other hand, was borne to tease. I never went as far as killing small animals as a boy or anything (okay, maybe slugs with salt, but that’s it). And my teasing nature—though still present—has waned in recent years (thanks, maturity). So teasing must be a gene I passed onto Maddie. I haven’t ripped away toys from kids since I was a kid, so she isn’t learning specifics from me.

I guess the cruel tendency must be genetic. Am I wrong?