I have two boys and a girl. I always wanted the “middle” child to be a girl, so that everyone would have something that set them apart in the family: oldest, youngest, girl. Of course we can’t plan our lives like that.
My middle boy is easily set apart by his smarts and his artistic nature, but he’s also a peacekeeper and can sometimes slip into the background.
Last week he lost 3 teeth. He’s 10 and so it’s been a while since he’s lost any teeth and we’ve been busy with our youngest losing teeth. He seems so grown up and so it was kind of surprising to me when he said “It’s so weird, the tooth fairy hasn’t come for any of my teeth yet.” Cue that “oh, crap” feeling when you know you forgot something BIG!
As my first son grows out of clothes faster than I can even wash them, my middle also ends up with a lot of hand-me-downs.
When the other day he asked if he could ask for new clothes for Christmas because my oldest son’s style is “not really my style”, it almost broke my heart. Poor guy!
So, feeling all that mom-guilt, last weekend I took him on an adventure. My mom-cation plans were slightly changed and since my friend’s children would be home anyway, I thought we could get some one-on-one time and treat him like he’s the only one.
As anyone with multiple kids knows, the dynamics change so much when you have only one around! Suddenly everything is just that much easier. You can say yes to bigger things (because you don’t have to do it / buy it 3+ times!) and everything runs just a little smoother.
When we’re out with three kids, you’re usually doing some insane math trying to figure out a way to feed 3 kids at the mall without breaking the bank, and you know exactly what restaurants will give out extra plates or cups without giving a stink eye. When you’re with one kid… “OF COURSE you can have a pop AND onion rings!”
It’s so important to get those special times one-on-one. It doesn’t have to be a massive production, it can just be a movie or maybe a special show you watch together.
-Jen
#ThatSurreyMom
@jenxrobbins