EVERYTHING
FOR YOUR FAMILY
KID
QUIPS
During last July’s 5.8 earthquake, 3-year-old Bronwyn told her 1-year-old sister, “We’re going for a wiggle.” READ MORE
Mother Knows Best
|
||||
|
He is my second child. My last child. The one who, along with sharing my heart with his older brother, has also shared my attention. Never has he had the luxury of owning his parents exclusively, as my first child did for the two years before he arrived. Back then, my oldest son was fed, bathed, read to and rocked without distraction. The time we spent at the park was open-ended and the books we read were of his choosing. His favorite dinner, fish sticks, was on the weekly menu and no sharing was required - neither of his fish sticks nor of his toys. He was king of our castle. As it should be with the first-born. And then, along came his little brother. While big brother had to learn to share, little brother had no choice. My youngest never knew that life without a sibling existed. They shared a bedroom for years. On every excursion, they shared the back seat. During story time, each chose a book, but also had to sit quietly while listening to the other's choice. Even the question, "What shall we have for dinner?" became a compromise. Fish sticks and spaghetti, their respective favorites, became alternating weekly dinners. Such is the life of a second-born. Always in tow as the first child charts new ground, they watch from the sidelines as older brother plays soccer. They watch from the car window as big brother goes to kindergarten. They are witness to their older sibling capturing all the "firsts." First to play ball. First to drive. First to date. And when it's the second child's turn, we are all there cheering, but we've been there before. In his case, there is no little brother watching in awe from the sidelines, making him feel like a hero. There is no little hand waving to welcome him to the security of the back seat after his first day at kindergarten. In some ways it's easier - his trailblazing brother has already cleared the path for him - yet in some ways it's harder - there is no one tugging on his sleeve, the excuse to revel in kid things a bit longer. Then one day, everything changed. Big brother got even bigger - old enough to go places and do things on his own. No more fights over what TV show to watch or which movie to rent. Compromise isn't required. For the first time in his life, he has the entire back seat to himself, total ownership of the remote control and first pick of the restaurant when we go out for dinner. And he has me. All of me. My thoughts are with my oldest as he ventures out more often, but my attention is focused on my youngest. And it is undivided as he, my last, in a reciprocal-sort-of moment, feels like my first. Kimberly A. Porrazzo is a senior writer for Churm Publishing, Inc. and author of "The Nanny Kit." She can be reached at: kimberlyporrazzo@cox.net. |
||||
RSS Subscribe
Digg This ArticleSEARCH THE SITE
