Back when I was the one with little babies, I used to feel sorry for people with older kids who didn't capture random glances at the mall. Life must have been so sad for those people, I naively thought, who no longer have the cute kids as their own! Snort. Now that Lily is 8, I'm beginning to see the merits to having older kids. Here's what I've discovered so far, and I'm looking forward to many, many more.
1. I can sleep in! Or at least not get up the second the kids do now that they can grab breakfast on their own and turn on the TV. Such a beautiful thing.
2. They can dress themselves. Sure, they may look a tad mismatched, but at least I don't have to assist.
3. I get more than a "good" when I ask how their day was. (Or at least with my daughter I do.)
4. They can navigate the DVR. And, help me in doing so.
5. I can embarrass them, and have a blast doing it.
6. I can enjoy watching TV with them. Hello, Brady Bunch reruns and so long, Dora and Caillou!
7. They can shower alone and I no longer become drenched during bath time.
8. They understand consequences and can be reasoned with. Sometimes.
9. They can read to themselves. Buh-bye, Dr. Seuss.
10. They can do chores. I mean, that's almost reason enough to have another one.
What joys have YOU discovered as a parent of older kids?
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Comments 28
Just because they can read doesnt mean that reading to them should stop. I learned to read at age 3, does that mean my mother should have stopped reading to me then? Until I was 11 either one of my older sisters or my mother read to me every night before bed. Its one of my fondest memories. My sister still reads to my 13 year old nephew when he wants (it became infrequent once he turned 12) and my 8 year old niece loves being read to every night in bed.
SHOPPING!! Shopping is so much more fun since my Daughter hit 13!!
I pretty much rejoice in the fact that my 6 year old can pick up her own toys, brush her own teeth, bring her own dishes to the kitchen, dirty clothes to the laundry, go to the bathroom/wipe by herself, etc. Its the little things that really make a difference. I agree about the whole being sick thing too. She can TELL me what's going on when she feels bad instead of us playing the guessing game. Good times :-p