Quote:
Originally Posted by Larry Gude  ...gosh, I'm sure there are far, far worse parents in this world than mine. The thing that just got so damn interesting, out of the blue, was the clear delineation between the younger two of us and us older two. Certainly it's been there for ages, but it just came up recently. It's neat that they are so unburdened by this, so emotionally healthy about it.
My sister is dealing with cancer and she knows her mom is not going to be the one that will be strong for her; little sister will be. She knows dad will be oblivious to much of this and me and bro will be the ones who will be the eternal sunshine, that it will all be fine and joke about it.
For whatever reasons, which I want to learn, the younger two long ago gave up and are realistic and accepting. Us older two are resentful sometimes. It's
an interesting dynamic. |
I'm sure your parents were capable, you seem to have come out of childhood with your head attached. I was making a remark on what your sibling had said.
Do you think that, because some parents tend to be more lax with their children as they are born, that your younger sibs are less affected because they didn't have the attention or nurturing you and your other older sib?
They may not care because your folks had relaxed by the time they were born and they don't share that bond or that connection
Birth order and the number of children in the family can affect the individual child as much as the parents can. IMO My experience is the flip side of yours.
I am the oldest and was a very independent child and not at all in to hugs pr personal contact. My brother was the mama's boy type as a child and clung to my mom. Now we are the opposite, I am very close to my mom and my brother is estranged from her. Perhaps because of the way my mom parented or the interaction between the three of us, we were molded in to our adult selves. I am now the clingy one in spite of how I was a child.
Perhaps my kids will be the same way when they are grown because my kids mirror the way my brother and I were as kids. My oldest is far removed from the relationship I have with my "baby boy" and I never quite understood why