The Kids

The Kids

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

What Does It Take?

I have become one of those moms who is actually wondering with hope, "Is school starting soon?" I swore I would never have those thoughts. What kind of mother looks forward to sending one of her blessed children to school when they are only this age for such a short time?

The kind of mother who has kids two years apart.

As each week of the summer goes on, so increases the fights between Abby and Caleb. I can understand the cries over being hit by each other or when one of them destroys a project the other has been working hard on. What I do not understand is the trivial fights.

Since when did it become crucial to have ownership over my measuring cups? Have mostly deflated balloons from a birthday party two weeks ago always been so fascinating? Do boys really need to keep taking laptops from their sisters that say, "Hello Barbie girl!" every time they open it? And why, out of the piles of stuffed animals in this house, do the children insist on fighting over just one of them?

I am rapidly losing my mind. Adult conversation-please!

What I find amusing on this beautiful day, where both kids think it is more fun to argue over the previously mentioned things than play on the swingset, is that something random just changed my daughter's attitude.

Caleb has been having bowel movement issues. I finally gave him a quick-fix kind of treatment, hoping to ease his pain until we can see the doctor. While he was crying in the bathroom, Abby wisely stayed out of the way (I would like to think it was because I asked her to and she was obeying, but most likely because the cries that came from her brother were rather frightening). When the ordeal was over, she kindly brought him her Barbie laptop and said, "Here Caleb-you can play with it!"

While I was recovering from my shock over her kindness, she came over to me and explained, "When I heard Caleb crying, I was so sad. It just made me hurt for him. I almost cried, too! I just want to be really nice to him now."

Apparently time-outs, apologizing to each other, lectures and any other kind of punishment does not work. But, a backed up two-year old sibling brings out the compassion in my daughter. Good to know.

1 comment:

JMCOOPER said...

I felt the same way! My first two are a year and a half apart and at first I thought I'd never want them to go to school, but by the time my oldest was ready--I all but placed him on the bus myself. BUT--your perspective may change. Once you are out of those super-difficult baby/toddler/preschool years and you get a breather, it's not so bad. I brought my oldest home again this year--to cyber school--and it's been an amazing discovery. I actually kind of like him around again!