Being a middle child can sometimes be a bummer
A mother recently recalled the events of this past weekend, when she threw a birthday party for her young daughter. According to her, after immeasurable resources and effort being put into making her daughter's first birthday party special, none of the 50+ people who were invited to join in on the celebration attended.
The second you have a child, you are responsible for what that human goes on to do with his or her life. That does include if your kid grows up to be, well, a jerk. I’ve known a lot of narcissists in my time and, when I’ve seen how their parents interact with them, I’ve often had an ah-ha moment.
As often happens in life, my dad accumulated more wealth with each passing year. And with each new family. His first batch of kids lived in a tiny two-bedroom house in a not-so-great neighborhood and walked to public school. I grew up in a five-bedroom house on a large property and was driven to private school in a BMW by our full-time nanny.
Child development charts have not been A) around or B) so thorough for very long. Now parents are obsessing over the fact that their child is technically one week behind on taking her first steps or saying her first word. Really, I’m sure all of our parents and grandparents would have varied greatly on these charts, and yet they all turned out fine.
I understand that after a certain age, a woman can get stuck in her ways. But if you’ll only do your things with your child, she just won’t want to see you as often. So go to that stupid movie she likes, and get a drink at that dingy place she enjoys. It’s about the company, not the activity, after all.
Kids tables are fine for very young children, but it could be a good idea, around age eight or nine, to transition your kids to the grownup table. This can be a natural way to have them observe adults, and wean them off of some of their adolescent tendencies (like throwing food).