As every parent with two or more children knows, the fantasy of siblings can be very different from the reality. You dream that they’ll be best buddies who always play together, yet it seems like you spend most of your day begging them to stop poking each other in the eye.
But just when you’re ready to admit defeat, those kids will bust something out from your fantasy card catalog of dream sibling behavior, prompting you to take 10,000 pictures before melting into an emotional puddle on the floor. Here are just some of those times:
- When they play dress-up
From coordinated Halloween costumes to new creations from our dress-up trunk, I cannot get enough of the outfits.
- When they make each other laugh harder than I ever could
What’s so funny? Who knows, and it probably involves many versions of the word “poop,” but the out-of-control giggles are so, so worth it.
- When they share
I'm a broken record telling them to take turns and share, none of which seems to sink in. Then one day I hear, "Do you want to try my ice cream?" and I just about die.
- When they create an imaginary world
It was confusing the first time my toddler called out “Mommy!” and my first grader answered, “Yes, dear?” It turns out they were playing a game they invented called Mommy Queen and Baby Princess. I have never been so happy to be replaced.
- When they put on a show
Who needs TV when there’s an impromptu ballet recital, complete with costumes and choreography, happening right in our living room?
- When they hold hands crossing the street
It’s like they actually care about each other’s safety or something.
- When they duet
Fighting in the car is the worst. But if I put on the "Moana" soundtrack, they might just hold hands across their car seats and belt out “How Far I’ll Go.” And, yes, I might have tried to videotape that while also driving.
- When they read to each other
Nothing melts me like my new reader practicing her skills on her baby sister, who is such a good audience and can never get enough of "Room on the Broom."
- When they’d rather be together
They were getting on each other's nerves, so I separated them, and it was like I'd stolen Romeo from Juliet. A tearful reunion followed.
- When they comfort each other
I heard the cry, but by the time I ran in, I found one of them already patting and stroking and murmuring, “It’s OK.” The best.
- When they crawl into bed together
That time when instead of waking me up at the crack of dawn, they climbed into bed with each other. My work here is done.
