One of the greatest benefits of homeschooling is the time that my kids get to spend with each other. My four-year-old absolutely shines in his role as big brother, and I have been amazed at the empathy and concern he has for his baby sister. When she cries, he is immediately attentive — bringing toys, making silly faces, chatting to her in a quiet, soothing voice. He is often able to calm her and absolutely delighted every time she reaches for a toy he offers or stops crying to flash him a big gummy grin.
His current favorite pastime is building with his Legos, something baby sis isn’t quite ready for. However, we have talked about how, even though she can’t build anything with them yet, the Mega Bloks are safe for her to hold and play with. Big brother immediately hatched a scheme. He set up his sister’s bouncer seat and a blanket, hauled out the Mega Bloks, and asked me to put her in her seat so he could build a tower for her. He used every block we have, topped it off with an elaborate little balcony, and explained the whole thing to his sister as he was working.
Being able to give them this time together is such a blessing to me. Now if we could just get him and his brother to stop hitting each other with light sabers…
How are your kids building those sibling bonds lately?