Together is Better.

Categories: family

Date: 24 January 2009 15:35:44

Elder Son and Daughter are now at that lovely age where they interact with each other apart from their parents. When they were younger they needed Mummy to suggest they play bricks or cars together. Now they independently decide that together they will load the car transporter lorry with bricks and crash it into the nearest wall to see how much damage can be done. They may occasionally fight, but generally together they are better: play is more imaginative, punishment is shared and problems are solved.

Take, for example, bedtime. Bedtime was sometimes a problem. Elder son doesn't like being alone in the dark much (See 'Monsters' post below), and Daughter doesn't like staying in bed on her own. This week they've found a solution. Once we've put them to bed in their separate beds, switched on the nightlight and shut their bedroom door, Elder Son gets out of his bed and gets into hers- where they play, cuddle and eventually fall asleep together.

And we just lift them back into their separate beds later in the evening.

(Although buying one big bed and putting all the kids together in it has crossed my mind!)