one is the new two
Crabtot is learning about siblings at preschool this week. I think some of the kids are having trouble with their wee brothers and sisters, so issues like jealousy and anger are being addressed in stories and games. An age-old theme, sibling rivalry. I feel sure I've seen a million books with titles like Go Away, Baby Carla! and Get Your Own Mommy, Kayden! Or something like that.
But I'm looking for a slightly different book. It's called I Want a Sister, But Mom Says It's Not Happening. Or maybe it's called Why Does My Mommy Look So Freaked Out When I Ask for a Baby? Or something like that.
Seriously, there's a sibling book that needs to be written. A book for our modern age. Where more and more of us are too selfish, broke, old, environmentally conscious to have more than one tot. Maybe I will write this book! Let's give it a crack, shall we?
It will be a variation on the classic Are You My Mother? It will be called Are You My Sister? But instead of a bird looking for its mother, it will have a little girl in it. After getting no satisfactory answer on where her baby sister is from her parents, the little girl runs away to find her. She goes up to a baby chick and says, "Are you my sister?" And then she asks a calf, a piglet etc. etc. Eventually her parents find her and tell her they've been half mad with worry and that no way is there ever going to be any baby sister. I mean, they put their arms around her and say that they love her too much to share her with any babies. And then they say "Let's go get a goldfish!" Or, "Let's get some dark pink ice cream!"
Or something like that.
Yes, Crabtot thinks it's lame that she has no siblings and plans to improve on our track record when she grows up. She's 3.5 but she already knows how many kids she wants. "Sixteen," she states firmly every time I ask. And after talking about sisters with me this past week, she announced another game plan yesterday: "I'm going to buy a baby sister." Good idea. Because that's the only way you're going to get one, my poppet.
Anyone have any good answers to the "Why don't I have a brother/sister?" question?
The other side of that coin is that I'm expecting number 2 and my son, who is also 3.5, is not excited. Or, he keeps insisting the sister is actually a brother (that would be eerie if he was right).
The grass is always greener, I guess.
kdblya, the grass is always greener for Crabmommy. oh yes indeedy. I think I even have a post with that very phrase in it. Good luck with bringing the little one around to the littler one.
i have found that more than my child other mothers of several feel the need to try and convince me that my plate is not full enough when i am clearly barely hanging on... does misery just love company?
My son, age 6, is an only child and is perfectly happy not having to share anything. He does want a dog, however. Which is okay with me!
Ooooh, amiem, the dog thing scares me more than a second child. I wrote about my doggy dislikes in an earlier post, and about my relief that Crabtot doesnt (yet) love dogs. hermit crab is about all I'm good for. Or Sea Monkeys. :)
Ya. Add this to the list of kidlit book topics that I'm waiting for (not the least of which is the whole shelf full of runOfTheMill family dysfunction).
I've actually come across two books about single children. The first I had to actually donate (it was so distasteful) the second is great:
The Not-So-Only Child.
You can listen to our chat about this book here:
http://www.justonemorebook.com/2007/01/24/pintsized-people-watching-the-not-so-only-child/
and our interview with the author here:
http://www.justonemorebook.com/2006/12/04/interview-with-heather-jopling/
ps. we have absolutely nothing to gain if you like this book. It just happens to be one of the 330 we've included in our podcast...
Andrea
--
www.JustOneMoreBook.com
"A podcast about the children's books we love and why we love them -- recorded in our favourite coffee shop"
Andrea! Thanks a mill for that. I will check out the podcast. Title sounds PERFECT for my purposes.