With four kids, we have a lot of complex sibling relationships happening in our house. Some of them are beautiful. Some are not. Throw in a mom who’s an only child and who can’t even begin to understand these dynamics and it makes for a hot mess.
All of my children get along for the most part. Everybody loves the youngest of the four. My “bookend babies” (my oldest and my youngest) definitely have a special bond and my daughter loves to get bear hugs from her youngest brother. My oldest son is certainly molding the youngest to be an adventurer just like him and they love to ride bikes. And my middle son shares a room with the youngest, so they are like two peas in a pod with books, toys, and lots of time spent wrestling around. High Bulk C1s Ivory Board
There seems to be the most friction with my oldest son. He and my daughter are only 14 months apart in age, so there is a lot of competition between them. He desperately wants the middle brother to go and do all the things like sports, bike riding, and more, but my middle son is a homebody and has no interest in the constant motion his brother tries to get him involved with.
As an only child myself, I am constantly asking my husband if things the kids are doing are “normal” – things like the wrestling, farting on each other and stealing the remote control. He assures me it is. I just don’t get it.
Occasionally my oldest two will get along and go out together. Last year, they went out to shop for my son’s semi-formal outfit. I was shocked and very pleasantly surprised.
In fact, these kids often surprise me. Yes, there is a lot of arguing. Yes, there is a lot of noise. But there are also those moments where everybody gets along and I think maybe, just maybe, we’re doing something right.
Packaging Paper Allison Wells is a wife, mother of four, and an award-winning author. She's Team Oxford Comma and her motto is "Life is short, eat the Oreos." Find her online atallisonwellswrites.com.