When I first found out I was pregnant with Blondie (also know as the middle child), my first reaction was that I was guilty. I knew that my one-on-one time with Little Mama would come to an end and I felt really sad about that. Fast forward a year and those two girls had a sisterly bond like nothing I've ever experienced since I had two brothers.
They were thick as thieves and then little Boo-Boo came along. He somehow found is place in the family and loved playing the role of the baby of the bunch. The sibling dynamics between the three are so interesting for me to observe and while most of the time we all love being together, I have found the older they get that the kids need (and crave) one-on-one time.
They were thick as thieves and then little Boo-Boo came along. He somehow found is place in the family and loved playing the role of the baby of the bunch. The sibling dynamics between the three are so interesting for me to observe and while most of the time we all love being together, I have found the older they get that the kids need (and crave) one-on-one time.
In fact, just last week Boo-Boo told me that he wished our family was just me, the Mr. and himself, "with no girls." I know he doesn't really mean that, but what he was trying to say was that he loved the time spent with just me or Mr. He's actually quite lucky because I do get the most one-on-one time with him right now. He has time in the morning before pre-school and this is often one of my favorite parts of the day. We get cozy on the couch and watch cartoons for a little bit. It's so sweet and he is so snuggly in the mornings.
He also has Friday's off, so that is another whole day for us to spend together. He loves lunch dates at Chick-fil-a, he loves playing board games, he will ask me to read to him or he is my little assistant around the house.
I love my time with him and love that he makes me slow down and take time to enjoy the simple pleasures in life...like making wishes and discovering all sorts of treasures.
We also have the afternoons after pre-school while the girls are still at school.
I love my time with him and love that he makes me slow down and take time to enjoy the simple pleasures in life...like making wishes and discovering all sorts of treasures.
At School
One way I have found to get some individual time with them is at school. I'm lucky enough to be able to volunteer in their classes or even just have lunch with them. Yes, their friends are around at these times, but because it isn't their siblings they really love it. When I go to lunch with one and not the other they always act like it is our little secret and I know that makes them feel special. I often don't tell them when I will be there so it is even more fun and exciting when they see me.
Just last week I went on a field trip with Blondie's class. I loved hanging out with my girl and she loved having me all to herself.
At Home
I try to do little things like let just one of them stay up maybe 30 minutes later than everyone else. Even if I just go in their rooms and have a heart-to-heart chat about anything they want to talk about, they think this is really fun and again, it's our little secret. No need to make a big deal about it to the other two and cause someone is bound to get upset if they found out.
Little Mama and I like to sneak away in the afternoons and paint our nails together. Blondie usually doesn't want to sit still long enough to do hers, so this is a special time with just my biggest girl and I.
We also bond over our love of cute clothes. While Blondie often prefers the sportier look, Little Mama loves dressing up and is really into what she wears. Picking and planning outfits is a special time for us. On this day we were both excited about our Lilly!
As much as I think it would be fun to have kids involved in the same sports and on the same teams, I am SO happy that they have each found their own way. Their interests are different and so they like being involved in different sports. We often have to divide and conquer on the weekends in order to make it to all of the games on time and I like taking this time to give each of them some one-on-one time. Even if it is just a quick drive over to the soccer fields and letting them pick out the fun music for the car ride, it's all about making them feel like the most special one at that moment.
Running Errands
It doesn't even have to be anything extra fun a special outing to make them feel special. If I run an errand on the weekend I will ask one of them if they want to come with me. Hudson gets lots of errand running time with me, but the girls love being the only one to help me grocery shop. They'll take charge of the list and mark items off as we find them and sometimes we even sneak in little treats.
In Pictures
As silly as it may sound, even just taking pictures with each of them at different times is a small moment of one-on-one time. I love trying to get pictures of me with all three of them (although someone is almost always not cooperating) but they absolutely LOVE getting their picture made with just me. It doesn't matter if we are all together or not...just grabbing one of them to come sit by me on the boat or on the hayride at Halloween gives us a few minutes to chat and grab a pic.
Another perfect example was at the zoo a few weeks ago. I tried to make special moments with each of them. I may constantly be running out of storage on my phone, but those kiddos are so happy to have a picture with just me, so I'm going to keep snapping away.
Another perfect example was at the zoo a few weeks ago. I tried to make special moments with each of them. I may constantly be running out of storage on my phone, but those kiddos are so happy to have a picture with just me, so I'm going to keep snapping away.
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