As a mother of an only child, there is one thing that I miss completely. Sibling rivalry. And when I say miss it, I mean I don't have to hear "Moooooom, she's touching me!" from the backseat. But I also don't get the entertainment value.
Take the two brothers at a Texas Rangers game who have gone viral this week thanks to one's sign offering his piggy bank up in exchange for whatever ballplayer could hit a line drive ... directly into his brother's noggin. Ouch! Literally! Figuratively! Just ouch!!
That's the stuff that makes sibling rivalry grand. That's the stuff, I confess, I miss. It's so good, you can't really make it up.
Go ahead, roll your eyes at the one and done, doesn't have to deal with squabbling kids mom. But I get that, in the moment, sibling rivalry is the pits. Take it from a sister. I mean that in the literal sense, not the "I've got all my sistahs with me" sense. As in a person whose mother spawned another child, therefore ending forever her days as an only child, sole eater of the cookies and play-wither (wither-er?) of the Matchbox cars. I was none too pleased when I asked for a sister and out popped this creature who liked to sit on my head and fart.
That's what makes sibling rivalry hilarious if you step back and look at it with fresh eyes. That sign in the Rangers' ballpark? It was mean. Horribly mean. Sadistically cruel.
And, um, wickedly funny. Because these were little kids who don't think through what they do and are still sorting out their emotions. They spend so much time with one another that they get really, really angry, and they don't have the same cooling off period that they do when they leave their friends at school. We want our little darlings to love each other, but we're expecting an awful lot from two people who spend every waking minute together and very often have way too much in common (hello, same genes?). I love my brother. But sometimes, I just didn't like him very much.
Do you appreciate your kids' sibling rivalry for the hilarity it brings to your family? What did you think of this sign?
Image via MLB
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Comments 17
They were discussing the sign on ESPN yesterday. I thought it was hilarious. On ESPN they were asking if the parents knew what the sign said. Come on... they are watching the jumbotron while they are on it with that innocent look on their faces.
I was cracking up.
And I'm a mom of 5 including 3 kids that are each a year apart. I have sibling rivalry up the wazoo. And I still found that sign hilarious. Of course I have a wicked sense of humor as do my kids. if I caught one of my kids with the sign I'd probably laugh, congratulate them on their creativity and tell them to put it away because it's still mean to wish harm onto your siblings. They'd all get a laugh and life would carry on.
Eh, I'm 25 years old and would be tempted to hold that sign up at both of my sisters. Sometimes you dont grow out of it.
That sign was hilarious but they actually interviewed the brothers and found out they both came up with the idea to get them put on the big screen so their fave players would see them. They are, according to their parents, the best of friends :)
I would imagine that the kids' parents knew it would get a laugh, which is why they went with it. Sometimes, it is more about the creativity of the kid than what they actually mean. I find it funny... but this comes from a gal that boxed a sister up to mail off when she was a small child. :-)
I think almost all things are fair to see yourself on the jumbo-tron. I find it hilarious and I would have let my boys do it. They either hated each other or loved each other. It depended on the hour.
I think it's pretty funny. Nothing wrong with a bit of fun.
I'm gonna take my sister to a game and hold up that same sign! LOL That is way to funny!
I think the sign is great! What an 'incentive' to get a ball!! Nothing harmful about it. To me, that is very mellow considering we're talking about boys. I've had to make some mental adjustments of how boys behave compared to girls this past school year as my son came home sharing various jaw-dropping stories. Thing is, boys will be boys.. and I absolutely love every minute of it.
LOL @ historymamax3 for boxing up her sister to mail off, you were nicer than I was! I tried to 'throw' my sister away by sticking her in the trash can ( She was 1 and I was 5). I think the sign was mild compared to some of the things my brother-in-laws have done to each other!