MARK MY WORD: IT WOULD BE GREAT IF MIRRORS STOPPED SIBLING SPATS

Mirror, mirror on the wall, can you stop that fussing and feuding at all?

According to zoo keepers, the answer is yes. At least, a mirror arranged a truce between two feuding chimpanzees at the Prince of Wales Zoological Gardens in northern India.

Sunny and Cheena stopped fighting last week when two mirrors were hung in the cage they share.

According to news accounts, the two chimps have even started eating together. Their caretaker says the chimps are "chirpy" all day.

It would be great if mirrors worked with kids. I'd hang a mirror in every room in our home if I thought it would keep sibling rivalry at bay.

But somehow I doubt that mirrors would make Becca and Bailey chirpy all day.

Becca and Bailey are no strangers to sibling feuds. When you're 9 and 5 years of age like Becca and Bailey, respectively, even the little squabbles seem like World War III without helmets.

Like other parents, Joni and I have spent countless hours as referees to life's little disagreements.

Hugs help. So does ketchup. Our family hasn't embraced the green ketchup. We'll still using the red kind, although Bailey is excited about news that purple ketchup will one day hit supermarket shelves.

Life's condiments are grand when they're the right color. Besides, it's hard to fight when you're eating ketchup.

I've never tried mirrors to break up fights. I'm skeptical about their soothing powers. Becca and Bailey don't spend a lot of time in front of the mirror. After all, they're not teen-agers.

If they're in front of the bathroom mirror for long it's because they are jockeying for a better view.

Mirrors may get the chimps to eat more, but I don't think they would have any impact on Becca's and Bailey's eating habits. Becca still sticks to a limited menu while Bailey has a broader appetite that includes string cheese.

While Becca's menu is small, she has branched out in recent weeks. She has discovered that chicken is OK even if it isn't compacted into nuggets.

That's my girl. You know your child is growing up when he or she realizes that the world's culinary delights don't begin and end with fast-food nuggets.

Centuries ago, no one would have been impressed by nuggets unless they were gold. But in today's hurry-up-I'm-late culture, chicken nuggets have become a choice entree for children.

Parents are in a hurry, too. Having arrived home late from the office, we want something quick and easy to fix. We don't want to have to slaughter the hog. We want something boxed, processed and ready to eat.

Mirrors won't work with us. We don't have time to stop and stare.

Besides, as parents, we're busy refereeing those family feuds.

Fortunately, family life is full of firm hugs. Life's little spats don't last long even without mirror therapy.

Still, it's nice to know that you can always call on a mirror when you need it. A little reflection is good for the soul, not to mention fighting chimps.

Mark Bliss is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.