Splitting time among your kids is never easy. When you have one, they get your undivided attention. But when there’s two (or more), you find yourself needing to stretch yourself to give everyone the attention they deserve. I am so blessed with how well Arianna took her transition into her role as a big sister. She wasn’t jealous, was helpful and was usually pretty understanding when we needed to pause something to feed or change Natalia. Of course, she had her moments, but what kid doesn’t? I hear so many stories from families that go something like, “my toddler wanted me to take the baby back to the hospital” or toddlers who start acting like babies again to seek attention. I can’t stress how lucky I am that this wasn’t the case with us and that Ari quickly became the sweetest and most caring big sister when the time came.
As much as I wish I split my time fairly, the first year with a baby is always difficult. They have needs– diapers, bottles, bath, cuddles, etc. Now that Nati is almost a year old, life has gotten easier (in some ways). I’m able to spend more time playing with the girls together and I’m also making time to enjoy moments with them apart. Finding that balance for each child is not always easy but Danny and I strive to make it work. Danny will play hide-and-seek with Ari while I entertain Nati on the floor, or vise versa.
This past weekend I took Ari to Disneyland just the two of us and it was so nice to spend some quality time together. A full day of alone time that we haven’t had to ourselves in almost a year. She had the biggest smile on her face all day and it’s moments like this that remind you what motherhood is all about. No matter how busy you are, take just a few minutes out of your day to dedicate to each of your kids. Trust me it will go a long way.
