Sasha Alexander Shares Her Rule for Sibling Squabbles

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Sasha Alexander is soaking up the sibling bond between her two children.

“It’s really fun to watch the kids interact and fight and just provoke each other,” the Rizzoli & Isles star tells PEOPLE. “There’s a whole dynamic there that I’m sort of glad I didn’t have — but it’s really fun to watch as a parent!”

In an effort to keep the peace between her kids — Lucia Sofia, 7, and Leonardo Fortunato, 2½ — the actress is enforcing a new household rule that she hopes will deter her daughter from pushing her baby brother’s buttons.

“Lucia can be very nurturing to him, she’s a very loving and kind little girl … She can also know how to prod him exactly the way that would make him cry the whole ride home,” Alexander, 40, explains.

“My whole thing now is, okay, if you’re going to do that to him, then you’re going to take care of him for the rest of the day. Like, if you’re going to make him cry, then you’re going to take care of him.”

As the daughter of an actress, Lucia has quickly learned the secrets behind the big screen — and seems to have no problems with recognizing a little movie magic.

“I viewed E.T. for her the other day, which was a huge deal for me because it was such an impact on my life. I was really excited about it and it got to the part where E.T is going to die and I’m crying,” Alexander says.

“My daughter looks at me and she goes, ‘Mommy, did they paint him white?’ [I said,] ‘Did who paint him white?’ She said, ‘The movie people.’ I couldn’t believe [it]!”

As for Leonardo, his latest milestones have left Alexander and her husband Edoardo Ponti with a constant case of the giggles, as they teach their son the importance of pronunciation.

“The big thing is he likes cars and trucks, but he can’t say ‘t’ … that’s kind of the whole joke in the house right now. He likes cars and f—-,” the actress says with laugh. “We’re practicing … ‘No Leonardo, it’s t-t-t-truck’ and he just … he can’t say it.”

— Anya Leon