Browsing Tag

sibling rivalry

kids inc, motherhood

Yet another post about how great my kids are. Also, I really miss Bubbles.

Before I became a mom, I used to hear other parents talk about how their newborn has such a sparkling personality and I would roll my eyes so far back into my head they would get lodged there for days. Seeing that all they do is drink milk and sleep, I’m pretty certain my pet hamster, Bubbles (God bless her soul) had more of a personality. That was until she got really old and she fell off the top storey of her massive apartment and her eye popped out and she lost the will to live. I spent my last $100 on her surgery and she died the next day but it all worked out because I was too heartbroken to eat for the rest of the month anyway.

And I wasn’t sure about the whole nature/nurture debate. I thought that a kid’s personality is largely shaped by the environment they grow up in, but then how do you explain the fact that siblings can grow up with the same parents and turn out completely different.

Now with 2 kids, I’m almost completely certain that a parent can only do so much and children are not as some claim, a blank canvas for parents to create a masterpiece on. They come out all perfectly packaged and the most we can do is add a couple of finishing touches here and there. So really, if my kids grow up to be brats, it’s got NOTHING to do with me.

Just take my kids for example. They are as different as they come. Tru is a hardcore adrenaline junkie. He needs to be entertained every second of every day and he can’t sit still even for a while. There’s a little voice inside his head telling him that life is too good to waste maintaining the status quo so he’s always out seeking for a new adventure. He’s also gotta be at the center of attention all the time.

When they're not looking, I'm going in head first

When they're not looking, I'm going in head first

Kirsten is a little more unassuming. Totally like me in that regard. She homely and likes her equilibrium maintained. And she’s happy to blend into the background while her brother demands all my attention. If she could talk, she’ll be all like, “It’s ok mom, you can hang out with Tru. I’ll just lie here and watch my mobile quietly. Then when I’m tired I’ll go to sleep on my own without fussing.” Not that she doesn’t like the attention. When she gets some quality alone time with mama, she beams and beams like it’s Christmas morning.

I like my bed

I like my bed

These days, I try to give them equal portions of my time but truth is, the bulk of it goes to Tru. I have to constantly make sure he’s not in any mortal danger because it is incredible how he can hurt himself with the most harmless objects like a a piece of tissue. He can stuff it into his ears or dip into the toilet bowl and then eat it or use it to strangle himself. It just blows my mind.

But I think they’re good for each other. Tru’s really gentle with Kirsten and he will kiss and pat her on the head when she’s upset. And you should see the look of adoration he gets from her. If they grow up to be best friends, I wouldn’t have much to complain about.

kids inc

One is the loneliest number

siblings

siblings

I’m really glad that my 2 kids are taking well to each other. At first, I was a little concerned about sibling rivalry and whether Tru would get jealous of the new baby that is taking away all of Mommy’s time and attention. The first time he came to visit me in the hospital, he refused to look at Kirsten or go near her. Then we decided to get him a present saying that it was from his baby sister, and everything changed.

Over the past week, he’s been unbelievably sweet to her and just looking at them both makes me feel like it’s worth it, that I made the right choice having them so close together.

Being a single child and having all the attention is overrated. I have a brother who is 13 months older than me and growing up, we had a blast doing all sorts of crazy stuff together. It’s the next best thing to having a twin. I mean, it’s no fun playing alone and there’s nobody to cover your ass when you’re sneaking out to watch a movie instead of doing a school project. Of course there were many occasions where we were clawing each other’s eyes out, but I always knew that at the end of the day, he totally had my back.

Naturally, I’m hoping that the two kids will grow up being best friends. I don’t even mind if they conspire to conjure mischief. My superior Mommy brain will see it coming from a mile off anyway. I reckon my parents knew all our little tricks back then, but they indulged us once in a while.

I have a feeling Tru will be an awesome big brother. These days, the first thing he wants to do when he wakes up is to go and kiss Kirsten (and also poke her eyes and mouth – but I’m taking it as a sign of affection). It’s really sweet and on her part, Kirsten doesn’t seem to mind the occasional poke or smack to the face.

Just the other day, baby girl was crying for milk in the morning, and Tru was beside her drinking his milk. After like 10 seconds of her crying, he put down his bottle and started shouting at her, but not in a vicious way. Like “aahhh, aaahhh, aaahhhh”. I suspect he was trying to tell her that it’s ok, but he figured she probably couldn’t hear him with all the screaming so he decided to shout too. It was actually hilarious.

I think it’s going to be so fun with the two of them around.