

Sam and Anna were best friends. They liked to play together every day. Sometimes they played with dolls, sometimes they played with cars, and sometimes they played pretend.
One day, they decided to play pretend with a big box. They cut out a door and a window in the box and made it their house. They used a thread to make a curtain for the window and a blanket to make a roof.
"Let's imagine we are a family," said Sam. "I will be the dad and you will be the mom."
"OK," said Anna. "And this is our baby." She held a stuffed bear in her arms.
They had fun pretending to cook, clean, and take care of the baby. They also pretended to go to work, to the park, and to the store.
But then, Sam had an idea. He wanted to pretend to be a superhero. He took a towel and tied it around his neck like a cape. He said, "I will be Super Sam. I can fly and save the world."
Anna wanted to play along, but she also liked their house. She said, "But what about our baby? Who will take care of him?"
Sam said, "You can be Super Anna. You can fly with me and help me fight the bad guys."
Anna said, "But I like our house. It is cozy and nice. And our baby needs us. He might get lonely or scared."
Sam said, "Don't worry. He will be fine. He has the thread curtain and the blanket roof. Come on, let's go."
Anna felt sad. She wanted to be a good mom and a good friend. She didn't want to leave the baby or the house. But she also didn't want to make Sam unhappy. She didn't know what to do.
She thought for a moment. Then she said, "How about this? We can take turns. First, you can be Super Sam and I will be the mom. Then, I can be Super Anna and you will be the dad. That way, we can both have fun and be dependable."
Sam liked the idea. He said, "That sounds fair. OK, let's do that."
They hugged and smiled. They played pretend some more. They were happy and kind. They learned that being a good friend means being flexible and sharing. They also learned that being a good parent means being dependable and caring. They had a lot of fun with their box, their thread, and their bear. They used their imagination and their heart.
