Why Siblings Can Be So Different: A Mom’s Reflection on Raising Two Unique Boys

No. 87 - Parenthood is a front-row seat to watching your children grow into the people they were always meant to be.

Just a day in the life of Will, full of outfits and personalities.

One of the greatest joys of parenthood is the ever evolving process of getting to know your children as people. Not just as your kids, but as individuals with their own interests, quirks, and dreams. It’s a front-row seat to watching a personality unfold, layer by layer, right before your eyes.

My oldest son, for example, has the biggest imagination of anyone I’ve ever met. On any given day, he transforms from cowboy to pilot, waiter to baseball player, sometimes all within a single afternoon. He changes outfits at least five times, each new ensemble giving life to the character his mind is currently envisioning.

I’m not sure where this creative spark comes from, but I absolutely love it. His imagination is a window into the way he sees the world, and I feel a responsibility to nurture it, to encourage it as he grows and discovers more about who he is.

Tonight, as we sat cross-legged on the floor surrounded by dinosaurs, he announced that he wants to be a dinosaur scientist, a pilot, a fireman, and a police officer when he grows up. I smiled and told him the world is wide open to him. He can be anything he wants when he grows up, and I meant every word.

It is a wild and humbling thing to be a mom. You bring this tiny baby into the world, an entirely new human being, and you get to spend years watching them become themselves. I remember when I was pregnant, how I would daydream about what my children would be like. Would they be quiet or loud? Thoughtful or bold? What would light them up? Now, I get to see those answers play out in real time, and it is nothing short of remarkable.

What continues to amaze me is how two children, born to the same parents and raised in the same home, can be so completely different. My oldest is careful, observant, and meticulous. He notices details others overlook, loves to be “handsome”, and thrives on asking endless questions about how the world works.

My youngest, on the other hand, is pure energy. From the moment his feet hit the floor in the morning until the second he collapses into bed at night, he is on the move. He is joyful, fearless, and pours his big heart into everything he does.

I love seeing these two boys emerge as their own people. They are brothers, but they are also individuals with separate passions, interests, and callings. My hope is to expose them to as many experiences as I can along the way, so they feel free to explore and discover what makes them come alive.

Parenthood, in so many ways, is less about shaping children into who we think they should be and more about paying attention to who they already are. It is about walking beside them, giving them space to grow, and marveling as they step into their own stories. I cannot wait to see where those stories take them.

❤️ If you liked today’s post, please click the “heart” button or leave a comment! It takes two seconds, but really helps me reach new people.

🎄 I love matching family pajamas for Christmas, and Hanna Andersson has the cutest patterns this year. I can’t decide between The Grinch pattern (a favorite in our house) or the holiday tree ribbons.

📖 I just finished reading Jen Hatmaker’s memoir and it was fantastic. Jen has a way with words that feels so relatable, and raw, and honest, but also incredibly fresh and moving. I highly recommend it, especially for moms and women.

🍝 One of my favorite recipes to make when it starts getting cool outside is this sausage and fennel pasta by Ina Garten. It’s so flavorful and comforting, and cooks all in one pot for easy cleanup!

Happy Friday, Friends! I plan on starting Nobody Wants This Season 2 this weekend. Have you watched it yet? What do you think?

---