Mommy Diaries : Kids are Different

My siblings are much older than I am, so I kind of grew up as an only child. I never had to compete for anyone’s attention or worry about being dad’s favorite. And of course, as all of us think, I ran my mouth about how I would do everything in my power to make my kids feel equally loved and appreciated at all times. I would make sure to do the same things for each of my littles. This was of course before Z Money came into the picture. We’re all experts on parenting until we become parents. That is when we realize just how clueless we are.

L Boogie is a star. She’s friendly, sweet and an award winning drama queen. She is a performer with style that would put the Beckham’s to shame. L was such a friendly baby, that she would wave at people like Miss America while roaming in her stroller.

Then there was Z.

Z is the complete opposite. She is a quiet, reserved little. She thrives on routine and likes to nod her head to the music while L rocks her pretend stage. At first I felt bad. I thought that perhaps I didn’t give her enough attention (so as to protect her from L’s jealousy) until it hit me… She’s just different.

No two kids are alike. And that’s ok. Z likes to watch L run around like the fairy she thinks she is. And at times, she likes to be alone. L needs constant reassurance that I love her and lots of hugs and kisses. Z prefers to just sit near me while she figures out just what the hell is going on in the madness that is our home. 

Things are making sense. Just because your little doesn’t like Barney doesn’t mean he’s an odd one. It means he’s an individual. Embrace it. There’s no such thing as a cookie cutter approach to raising kids. You have to handle them with care. These kids will one day be the ones to decide whether or not to put you in a home, so watch out now.