Spending Time Alone with our Middle-Born
‘Mommy, can I join this year’s Bible Camp?’, our middle-born asked.
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Levi recently went for a 3day-2night trip organised by our Sunday School team (Kudos to the team for their hard work and dedication!)
When he came back, he shared tonnes of stories over dinner, our one-on-one date last night.
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You see, our initial plan was to pick Vai up after Bible Camp and go to a friend’s sibling’s funeral.
But the buses were caught in traffic jams and arrived late.
Glad that we chose to split our duties – Wilson went to the funeral with the girls, while I waited to pick Vai up and spend time with him.
Such one-on-one time where he could tell me everything about his experience was very much needed by him, I’m sure. Good for our relationship, too.
(Yes, even though we both had to ride motorbike taxis, separately, and head for McDonald’s for dinner =)
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A little note to share:
Middle-borns simply don’t get as much ‘time alone’ with parentsMiddle-borns ‘exist’ between an older sibling and a younger one.
In general, one common feeling middle-borns share is, ‘I often don’t feel Mommy&Daddy love me as much as my siblings.’
Perhaps, with 3 kids in the family, middle-borns simply don’t get as much ‘time alone’ with parents, which causes them to feel that way.
Whenever possible, we try to arrange one-on-one time with our kids.
Alone with Mommy to the supermarket. Alone with Daddy to fix tennis rackets, etc.
Whenever possible, we try to arrange one-on-one time with our kidsHugs, cuddles and verbal assurances of their acceptance in the family hopefully strengthen the bond, too.
It’s the least we can and should do for our kids.
And oh, whenever the middle-born is involved in ‘conflicts’ with any of the siblings, they ALL are rebuked, ie. Not just one person getting the scolding.
(The common complaint we hear from middle-borns is, ‘You only scold me, but not my sister!’)
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Anyway.
Parenting is never an easy task.
May God help us all to be the kind of parents He wants us to be.
