Friday, May 3, 2019

Five on Friday: Perks of Having a Sister Who Doesn't Live With You

I firmly believe that families belong together and that siblings should be raised together.

I also happen to have a family made up with children who don't live with their biological parents nor all of their biological siblings. However, we fall into the extremely fortunate category of families like this who can and do have those relatives in our lives, even if not under the same roof.

The one my kids are closest to is their older sister who was adopted into a different family.  They've known her their entire lives and she's spent time with us in the summer. They stay in touch with her frequently, most adorably through FaceTime:



Last Wednesday I got a text from her Mom saying something like, "I heard K is coming to stay with you this weekend, is that okay with you?"

I laughed out loud. I hadn't heard about this at all. I could talk to the kids about remembering to ask before making plans but I couldn't be mad: they invited their sister over!

As much as I wish that all siblings could be raised together, I have to say I've noticed there are some perks to having a sister who doesn't live with you but occasionally comes to visit:

1. You don't have to hide your adoration for her. My  younger three kids have older siblings here that they live with and absolutely look up but they'd NEVER be obvious about it. Not so with a visiting sister!

2. A big sister that's only here sometimes is happy to play and hang out with you for hours on end. Likewise, she's not here long enough for you to get on her nerves.

3. Somehow all three younger kids--two of whom bicker constantly--get along better when K is in the mix.

4. Live-action observation of Nature vs. Nurture. The kids think it's kind of cool to see what they have in common with a person they share biology but not parents with; I find it fascinating.

5. The part that my kids think is best: she may be a sister but she's also a guest, so there's lots of staying up late and eating junk food while she's here.


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