Are Siblings Similar?
My mother always warned me not to compare my children. But let’s face it – that’s part of the fun of having more than one! When a not-first-born child attempts his childish pranks, you smile knowingly and calmly replay your tried-and-true responses. After all, you’re an old hand at this, right? Been there, done that. And even when the tomfoolery is different in execution, you – being the expert that you are – can see the underlying similarities and apply the appropriate responses. That’s the way it’s supposed to go, right? Test it out on child #1, refine it on child #2, and by child #3 or #4, it’s second nature. Except what happens when each of your offspring seems to have a completely different set of “Prank Genes”?
My first child had unlimited energy and a stubbornness that would make a donkey blush. We could never distract him away from something he wanted, and his dependence upon routine was almost absurd. We still own the required Kermit the Frog lullaby tape, even though he is now 12, and hasn’t needed it for ages! He is extremely artistic, but he never colored on the walls, dumped cereal on the floor, tried to ride the cats, or engaged in any other destructive activities. He just wanted things the way he wanted them! So imagine how thrilled we were when our daughter was born, and immediately showed herself to be flexible, compromising and understanding of our human foibles. We thought we had been sent an angel! Now with 5 years between brother and sister, we had to explain that some activities were OK for her older brother and not for her – like using markers. Markers were a privilege reserved for “older” kids, we explained, and they were kept in her brother’s room, which was off limits to her. Imagine our surprise and disbelief when our “angel” got into her brother’s room, took out his markers and completely covered her body with colors. And I do mean completely, since she had had the forethought to strip off all her clothes before proceeding with this mad scheme. When we found her, she looked like the tattooed lady from an old circus sideshow. The only part of her not markered, was her face, which wore a mask of complete innocence of the crime, and utter confusion at our anger. “After all,” she seemed to be saying, “I was just coloring!”
And now we have another little brother in the mix. Is he stubborn? No. Inflexible? No. Does he color on walls or bodies? No. I almost wish that he did any of these things, because they would be familiar pranks. But he has his own arsenal of keeping-mom-on-her-toes tricks. Like the day that I walked through the living room, and noticed a bottle of steak sauce on the coffee table. As I was putting it away in the kitchen, I discovered a jar of mayonnaise on the floor. It seems that Little 18 Month Old Bro’s first challenge, was to learn how to open the refrigerator! And being almost 3 feet tall, this posed no great difficulty. The older kids, of course, thought this was a hoot, and delighted in calling out “Mom, The Baby’s going shopping again!” He’s also very helpful about putting things in the garbage can . . . except that it’s not always garbage. And when the “going shopping” gets combined with putting things in the garbage, you can imagine the results. We’re learning, though. So now, when someone starts asking “Where is the - ” the family chorus chimes in with the response . . . “Look in the trash can”! Oh, and this weekend, we’re putting a lock on the fridge!
My first child had unlimited energy and a stubbornness that would make a donkey blush. We could never distract him away from something he wanted, and his dependence upon routine was almost absurd. We still own the required Kermit the Frog lullaby tape, even though he is now 12, and hasn’t needed it for ages! He is extremely artistic, but he never colored on the walls, dumped cereal on the floor, tried to ride the cats, or engaged in any other destructive activities. He just wanted things the way he wanted them! So imagine how thrilled we were when our daughter was born, and immediately showed herself to be flexible, compromising and understanding of our human foibles. We thought we had been sent an angel! Now with 5 years between brother and sister, we had to explain that some activities were OK for her older brother and not for her – like using markers. Markers were a privilege reserved for “older” kids, we explained, and they were kept in her brother’s room, which was off limits to her. Imagine our surprise and disbelief when our “angel” got into her brother’s room, took out his markers and completely covered her body with colors. And I do mean completely, since she had had the forethought to strip off all her clothes before proceeding with this mad scheme. When we found her, she looked like the tattooed lady from an old circus sideshow. The only part of her not markered, was her face, which wore a mask of complete innocence of the crime, and utter confusion at our anger. “After all,” she seemed to be saying, “I was just coloring!”
And now we have another little brother in the mix. Is he stubborn? No. Inflexible? No. Does he color on walls or bodies? No. I almost wish that he did any of these things, because they would be familiar pranks. But he has his own arsenal of keeping-mom-on-her-toes tricks. Like the day that I walked through the living room, and noticed a bottle of steak sauce on the coffee table. As I was putting it away in the kitchen, I discovered a jar of mayonnaise on the floor. It seems that Little 18 Month Old Bro’s first challenge, was to learn how to open the refrigerator! And being almost 3 feet tall, this posed no great difficulty. The older kids, of course, thought this was a hoot, and delighted in calling out “Mom, The Baby’s going shopping again!” He’s also very helpful about putting things in the garbage can . . . except that it’s not always garbage. And when the “going shopping” gets combined with putting things in the garbage, you can imagine the results. We’re learning, though. So now, when someone starts asking “Where is the - ” the family chorus chimes in with the response . . . “Look in the trash can”! Oh, and this weekend, we’re putting a lock on the fridge!