Excluding singleton siblings?

Jennifer-- I can just see this happening in the future in our house, too.
Jenna already thinks that her big sisters are the most wonderful people on the
planet-- and the feeling is mutual most of the time. But, right now, we have
separate play areas for the "big ones" and the "little one" because of choking
hazards, etc. Eventually, though, I hope we can condense to one play room and
I think that will be hard on all of them. I was an only child so I never had
to deal with this kind of stuff as a kid so I can really see both sides of the
issue. Its a fine line to walk...

-Cindy (mom to Ashlyn and Allyson 6/99 and Jenna 6/03)

Last night, though, my twins
began bugging me to have their own time without their younger sister, which
will just break the little one's heart. I don't want to *make* them include
her, b/c then they'll resent her, but I also want them to be kind, and she
just LOVES being with them.

My twins never excluded their big sister, though...in fact, they wanted her
to include them, and she was so much older that she didn't always welcome
their company (she's 8 years older).

Jennifer

"Cindy Senger" wrote in message
...
Jennifer-- I can just see this happening in the future in our house, too.
Jenna already thinks that her big sisters are the most wonderful people on
the
planet-- and the feeling is mutual most of the time. But, right now, we
have
separate play areas for the "big ones" and the "little one" because of
choking
hazards, etc. Eventually, though, I hope we can condense to one play room
and
I think that will be hard on all of them. I was an only child so I never
had
to deal with this kind of stuff as a kid so I can really see both sides of
the
issue. Its a fine line to walk...

Cindy, I did the same thing, created one big playroom so all the kids could
(theoretically) gather there. It's been moderately successful. Sometimes
if they're bickering too much, I send the main bickerer (bickeree?) to
his/her bedroom, but otherwise they can lounge around in each other's
company. I've got a ton of books there, plus games and a few toys. They've
basically outgrown the toy stage, but the books should never run out. :-)

I have to say, I'm at the end of my rope lately with the bickering between
my 10-year-olds. It's been SO intense the past couple of weeks. I'm about
to ship them off somewhere. DH reminds me that this was a hard age for our
older daughter, too, but I haven't had to deal with the sibling rivalry b/c
she was so much older than the twins when going through this difficult age.

I want so badly for all the kids to love each other and be close, but I know
the best way to facilitate that is to back off and stop forcing them to love
love love. :-D Still, I wish I *knew* that they'd all be close as
adults...then I could leave them to their infighting (somewhat).

Jennifer

wrote:

I have to say, I'm at the end of my rope lately with the bickering between
my 10-year-olds. It's been SO intense the past couple of weeks. I'm about
to ship them off somewhere.

Oh, good. I mean, not good, of course, but at least I'm not alone!

My ten-year-olds *are* being shipped off temporarily tomorrow -- camp for a
week! We'll see if they come back any happier ...
(they were actually getting along quite well over the packing tonight -- I even
heard civilized expressions such as "Which of these would you like? I don't
care," come out of their mouths!)

--Helen

"H Schinske" wrote in message
...
wrote:

I have to say, I'm at the end of my rope lately with the bickering
between
my 10-year-olds. It's been SO intense the past couple of weeks. I'm
about
to ship them off somewhere.

Oh, good. I mean, not good, of course, but at least I'm not alone!

My ten-year-olds *are* being shipped off temporarily tomorrow -- camp for
a
week! We'll see if they come back any happier ...
(they were actually getting along quite well over the packing tonight -- I
even
heard civilized expressions such as "Which of these would you like? I
don't
care," come out of their mouths!)

Ha!! I just dropped off DD10 to go to Girl Scout camp for a week, lol...but
her brother hadn't wanted to go to the Boy Scout camp back in the spring
when I had to register. So now it's just the 3 remaining kids, and the
oldest is mostly at work. It was SUCH a *quiet day*!!! I hope I don't end
up feeling resentful when DD10 returns and they begin bickering again. DS10
and DD6 get on really well.

Each of my kids is an angel one-on-one. Grrr! I drove DD10 over an hour to
her bus drop-off site for the camp, and she was wonderful. Nobody to bicker
with, don't you know...

Are your kids in the same camp?

Jennifer

wrote:

Each of my kids is an angel one-on-one. Grrr!

Yup. I suppose it's partly from the change, though. They probably wouldn't be
like that all the time if they had been only children.

I drove DD10 over an hour to
her bus drop-off site for the camp, and she was wonderful. Nobody to bicker
with, don't you know...

Are your kids in the same camp?

Yes, they are -- not in the same cabin, though.

--Helen