As I had to wake this perfectly content, sleeping baby from his nap to go pick up Luke from school unexpectedly because Luke was throwing up, I thought this isn't fair for him. That got me thinking about how everyone says the baby of the family is so spoiled. I'm the oldest so it would be natural for me to jump on board that train, but I'm not so sure that's entirely accurate. Sure, maybe as mom and dad get older they lose steam and desire to discipline the children for every little mishap. Maybe we also just realize after raising a couple that they're only little for such a short period of time and the phases they go through that drive us crazy won't last forever. So perhaps they don't get so much of the drill sergeant routine that the older kids get and maybe mom and dad give in to the "baby's" wishes more than they did with the older ones but, there are definitely drawbacks for the youngest one too. I don't remember having to wake Wayne up from his nap because it was time to load up in the car and run older sibling all around town. I don't remember making him wait to eat even though he was starving because I had to get his older siblings out the door to school first. I don't remember him constantly being exposed to every germ that 3 boys can possibly bring home from 2 different schools and praying that he didn't catch anything from them. I do remember letting Wayne participate in all kinds of kid sports programs as soon as they were available at 2-3 years of age. Brett is now 3 1/2 and he has never gotten to participate in anything because we're just too busy with the older boys sports activities. And Luke will not be playing t-ball this year because I just can't fathom having to go to at least 6 games per week instead of 4 with a brand-new baby this little league season. So I guess what I'm saying is that it all a give and take. And the reality is that people change--including parents! I hope that after 5 kids and 10 years that I have progressed and am more patient with my little ones now than I was when I first started, I hope that I will continue to progress, and I hope that all my boys can understand that. :)
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Is the baby of the family really spoiled??
As I had to wake this perfectly content, sleeping baby from his nap to go pick up Luke from school unexpectedly because Luke was throwing up, I thought this isn't fair for him. That got me thinking about how everyone says the baby of the family is so spoiled. I'm the oldest so it would be natural for me to jump on board that train, but I'm not so sure that's entirely accurate. Sure, maybe as mom and dad get older they lose steam and desire to discipline the children for every little mishap. Maybe we also just realize after raising a couple that they're only little for such a short period of time and the phases they go through that drive us crazy won't last forever. So perhaps they don't get so much of the drill sergeant routine that the older kids get and maybe mom and dad give in to the "baby's" wishes more than they did with the older ones but, there are definitely drawbacks for the youngest one too. I don't remember having to wake Wayne up from his nap because it was time to load up in the car and run older sibling all around town. I don't remember making him wait to eat even though he was starving because I had to get his older siblings out the door to school first. I don't remember him constantly being exposed to every germ that 3 boys can possibly bring home from 2 different schools and praying that he didn't catch anything from them. I do remember letting Wayne participate in all kinds of kid sports programs as soon as they were available at 2-3 years of age. Brett is now 3 1/2 and he has never gotten to participate in anything because we're just too busy with the older boys sports activities. And Luke will not be playing t-ball this year because I just can't fathom having to go to at least 6 games per week instead of 4 with a brand-new baby this little league season. So I guess what I'm saying is that it all a give and take. And the reality is that people change--including parents! I hope that after 5 kids and 10 years that I have progressed and am more patient with my little ones now than I was when I first started, I hope that I will continue to progress, and I hope that all my boys can understand that. :)
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you're an excellent mother. I hope you know that when we start having kids you'll be getting all kinds of calls and texts for help from me!
ReplyDeleteAmen! Well said. I know how you feel.
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