Negotiations

This weekend required tricky family negotiations, as Danny wanted to attend the soccer fun day at our church, and the girls wanted to go to the mountain bike park. We had the soccer invite a whole month ago, but in a careless moment I forgot about it and half agreed to the cycling plan a few days ago. It was complicated by the fact that neither Peter or I particularly wanted to go to the soccer either, but I feel it's important that Danny, though so much younger, should sometimes have a say in family activities. Well. The drama. The anguish. The flying insults! The tears! Is ten the new 15?

Parenting siblings is not for the faint-hearted. I am constantly aware of how different it has to be to grow up alone (without careful management, the child's every wish is almost effortlessly the family's command) versus with siblings (where there has to be compromise, negotiation and conflict).