A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

This picture really does illustrate the current relationship between my two boys:

Kieran has a hold of Soren's hair.  Soren is trying to extricate himself from the situation without hurting his little brother.  He really tries to be gentle with the baby.  I know it's frustrating for the older sibling to always look out for this little crawling person, but it's the reality of the situation.  It's a good thing.  It teaches Soren that he has to be aware of others.  He has to think about what he does and how it could impact someone smaller than he is.  

Before Kieran came into our lives, Soren had almost 100% of my attention.  That is certainly not the case anymore.  Kieran (even though he's getting more independent by the day) still needs constant supervision, diaper changes, bottles and snuggling.  Soren is pretty understanding, but I know there's an element of jealousy there.  This was particularly evident when Soren started to pretend that he was a baby.  He was mimicking everything Kieran did and trying to crawl on me just like the baby was.  It's like he was screaming, 'MOM!  I want to be the baby and get all the attention!  I want you to hold me!  I want you to cuddle me!'  

So, I did.  I have to remind myself that, even though Soren seems so grownup compared to Kieran, he's still three.  He still wants me to snuggle him.  He still needs a lot of praise.  He still needs to be my little boy, even though he constantly tells me how big he is.  

It's up to us to recognize when our children need to be our babies and when they are ready for more independence.  It's not always easy, but it's possible.