Are we failing them?

In the past two days, I’ve had conversations with two different friends who, like myself, are moms of 2 toddlers who are less than two years apart. Turns out, we all feel the same way: this stuff is HARD. We all wondered if we were doing enough for the younger child, when in comparison to what we did/read/played with our older ones it was clearly much less.

All three of us seem to be wondering the same thing. Are we failing them? FAILING. Such a strong word, and yet all three of us used it.

As we each tried to comfort the other, we also heard our own worries echoed in another family. It brought us some solace that we are not alone, but also confirmed that yes, it’s true: we will never be able to do the same things we did for our younger children as we did for our older ones. It is a pure product of family circumstance that the littles will never get the undivided attention that was given to their older siblings.

Here’s the reality: all three of us are aware of this and we are doing the best we can to make sure the littles get just as much attention as the older ones. They might get read two (or 12) less stories or they might be playing with toys well above their developmental levels, but they are also surrounded by parents who cherish them AND an awesome older sibling who shows them a whole world we as adults never could.

One thing is crystal clear: they’re surrounded by unconditional love and ultimately, that’s what helps a child thrive to their full potential. So, no mommas. We are not failing them!