Some days I worry that the children will be the death of me. Other times I worry that they will be the death of each other.
As much as I worry about meeting each of my children’s individual needs, and providing them with one-on-one time, it’s been apparent to me from the get-go that the buck doesn’t stop here. From the moment they laid eyes on each other, there’s been a bond. Jacob worships his sister, and Hannah adores Jacob. As much as she’s able to she loves to play and interact with him. Now that he’s nearly 8 months old it’s getting easier, and I’m having a great time watching their relationship unfold.
The problem with a 4-year-old and an infant ‘playing’ together, though, is that it’s sort of a recipe for disaster. Hannah wants to carry Jacob around, or jump on the bed with him. She handles him in ways that make me more than a little uncomfortable, as my heart fills with fear that my baby will be hurt. And Jacob loves every minute of it. I’m pleading for caution, and he’s smiling and laughing with his whole being. He seems to enjoy death-defying fun with his sister more than anything else in the whole world.
And playing together isn’t the only time I fear that they will harm each other. Hannah leaves stuff lying around everywhere. Crayons, bits of paper, small toys, and stickers. Left to her own devices she just carpets our floor in debris. And Jacob, like most babies, has a sixth sense for small choking hazards. He finds them endlessly fascinating, and of course they go straight into his mouth. Now that he’s crawling I’m constantly on my guard, since he is always able to find the small item I miss. And unlike Hannah’s baby days, I can’t just clean a room and expect it to remain safe for him.
I’m so glad that my kids have each other, and I hope that they continue to enjoy each other as they get older. But if they could, you know, stop engaging in activities that make me doubt they will even get older I would certainly appreciate it. There’s no reason to take the whole ‘partners in crime’ metaphor quite so literally.
Please share your stories about how your children risk life and limb together. I would really appreciate knowing that I’m not alone, and that most children do survive in spite of all their efforts to the contrary. 
Those pictures are priceless! Sometimes we lead our children and sometimes they lead us! When they outnumber us, that’s when we get into big trouble!!
I love those pictures too! Peeking under their hats to look out of the wagon is just adorable.
Q-ster really tries to put his things away, but you know how four year olds are – any little distraction, and a pile of little puzzle pieces are left strewn across the floor. We’re trying to keep the Lego contained in a “non-crawling” room, but I worry about those lots. They’re kind of the perfect choking hazard.
Two words: Polly Pockets. I would have never let Ava play with them at 16 months but she and Peyton spend so much time playing with all the little choking hazards. They jump on each other two but Peyton laughs so I guess it alright.
Ummm….that would be “too.”
As much as I know bunk beds would make so much sense, I am terrified of Hannah jumping to her death. Emma is such a rough and tumble little girl but Hannah is much more delicate. So, bunk beads are what my nightmares are made of.
As much as the girls wrestle and play rough, when Hannah and I go to pick up Emma after preschool and they run into each others arms and hug and hug and kiss and kiss, it really does break my heart to know just how much they really do love each other. That is what sisters should be like in my book.
My brothers Jonathan and Nathaniel and I are very close. I’m the oldest, so I can relate with your Hannah! This time of year makes me think of when I broke my nose…
My mom was picking up Nathaniel from school, and Jonathan and I were jumping on the trampoline. I was in high school, so it wasn’t like we were too little to be left home alone! Anyway, it was the Thursday before Easter, and so we were looking forward to the long weekend. For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to put on my Easter dress and jump on the trampoline. I still remember it was blue and lacey. Jonathan and I jumped on the trampoline, and next thing I knew I was flung through the air. I landed on the trampoline, thankfully, on my back and my knee smashed down into my nose. I got the worst bloody nose I’ve ever had, so bad that I thought I was going to pass out from blood loss. I got blood all over my new dress, all over the yard and the deck (fortunately we didn’t go in the house!!!). Needless to say, my mom was mad!! We were banned from using the trampoline when she wasn’t supervising us. I ended up getting two black eyes and a giant bruise on my knee from where it hit my face. It was SO bad to go back to school on the Monday after Easter and have to explain what happened. At least it’s a funny story now!
“Some days I worry that the children will be the death of me. Other times I worry that they will be the death of each other.”
I couldn’t have put this any better if I sat and thought about it for a decade! My almost 3 year old is what I like to call a “spirited” child. She is FULL of spit and vinegar! My 1 1/2 year old is so calm and passive. She adores her big sister. I am always worried that Sierra’s fun will cause Aayla great harm. Like tonight in the bath tub, Sierra nearly drowns Aayla with splashes and Aayla laughs and laughs and thinks it’s so great. Meanwhile I am also soaked and grumpy!
Somehow no matter what Sierra does, Aayla laughs and makes it very hard for me to want to stop her. They are having fun being sisters, that counts for something doesn’t it? Sometimes I find I need to just step back, let go and let them enjoy each other!
Rough and tumble play is an important part of children’s development. We as parents cringe sometimes, but “usually” everyone survives just fine