I’ll have a new grandbaby this week! My step-daughter is going into the hospital to have her baby this week, and the family can hardly wait to meet our new precious bundle.
Due to COVID-19, we can’t go to the hospital and await his momentous arrival in the waiting room as we have with our other two grandchildren. We won’t be allowed to see mama or baby for a while, but that’s completely understandable.
Being the older child myself, I understand what a shock this may be for my four-year-old grandson. He knows he has a brother coming soon, but he has no idea how his life is about to change. It won’t be long before he’ll have a shadow following him around, mimicking everything he does, wanting everything he has, and desperately trying to be just like him.
I remember how completely unprepared I was when my sister was born. I’m five years and eleven months older than her, so I’d been an only child for a long time. It was difficult to learn to share Mom’s attention, but it was the lack of attention from the rest of the family that surprised me.
Suddenly, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins didn’t visit to see me. They came to hold my sister and make kissy faces at her. When I tried to get their attention, I was often told to be quiet so I didn’t wake the baby. I didn’t understand, and that caused some resentment on my part.
Understanding and wisdom came with age, but I was not fond of the addition to my family as a kindergartener. In fact, I got mad every time someone asked me about her. It took me a few years to realize that she was a gift and not a curse.
My husband and I have discussed this at length and will endeavor to help our grandson with his transition from only child to big brother. He’s such a sweet kid that I’m sure he’ll adjust quickly and be a great role model to his new baby brother. I know his parents and the rest of the family will also help him understand his new role and encourage him to love and cherish his new sibling.
I hope they are as close as my sister and I became. She is often the first person I call when I have a crisis because sometimes she’s the only person who can truly understand me. No one has my back like my sissy.
My grandsons will grow up in a far different world than my sister and I, but I believe they will be just as loyal to each other. Sibling bonds are meant to stay strong through any storm.
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