I had my grandson at the park the other day when another family came by to play. That family had two children: a boy, Max, my grandson’s age (2½) and a girl, Madison, who is 6. Over & over again Madison mentioned to me that she was older than the boys. She could climb higher because she was older; she could spin faster because she was older; she could tell them what to do because she was older. After finishing a round on the carousel Madison said, “I’m having trouble getting up.” I said, “I hear that happens to old people.” Popping up to her feet she declared, “I’m not old like that!”
At what age does being the older sister go from being a bragging point to becoming a well-guarded secret? Family dynamics are just that: dynamic, ever changing. However, there are a few basics that ought to hold true no matter what age the children become; we’ll be talking about those essentials this morning.