His Car

Gabriel, being the second boy in the family, gets most of his toys as hand-me-downs from Bryan. He gets his new stuff about twice a year, from Christmas and birthday presents. Bryan on the other hand, gets new stuff all the time.

This toy car he is sitting on, (I’m very ashamed to admit) was bought for him because Bryan’s old one was too shabby to be handed down. In return however, (again I’m ashamed to admit) Gabriel gets more cuddles from Mommy. Partly because Gabriel is still the baby in the family. And partly because Bryan spends his free time playing with computer/Wii/iPhone games. And he gets irritated if he’s interrupted.

I find myself having to consciously remind myself to give Bryan a hug once in a while. And also to be fair whenever a fight erupts between the two brothers. It’s almost like a reflex to yell at Bryan for making Gabriel cry. Bryan being the older one and all. But I do realise that sometimes, it’s Gabriel that starts it by taking Bryan’s stuff. So I make Gabriel give Bryan’s stuff back.

Gabriel also has to give up some time with me when I spend time with Bryan. When he’s doing his homework or reading. I do still read with Bryan at bedtime. In contrast, Bryan had me all to himself when he was younger. So maybe that’s why Gabriel is slower in terms of speech development. Sigh... It’s all about time management with kids.