A Letter to My Second Born

A Letter to My Second Born

I’m sorry for not always giving you the attention that you need, that you so deserve.

I’m sorry if it feels like I put your brother’s needs before yours.

I’m sorry If I’ve ever made you feel like you aren’t my whole world.

Know that I see you. I see how smart you are when you try to figure things out on your own.

I see how brave you are when you climb on top of every box, chair, or table with no fear.

I see how compassionate you are when you watch your brother get in trouble.

I see how nurturing you are when you rock your baby doll to sleep.

I see how silly you are when you dance and giggle.

I see you. And this is my promise to you.

I promise to do better for you.

I promise to teach your brother how to be more independent, so you don’t always have to be.

I promise to be a role model for you, and to try and teach you how to be a strong, confident woman.

I promise to try and show you every day how much I love you.

I wrote this one night when I was feeling especially guilty. Our son had been having one of those days and I was struggling. Just to avoid a tantrum, I made his lunch first. Just to get him to stop whining, I played with him while my daughter sat in a bouncer with some toys. Just to avoid losing my mind, I catered to his every need as my daughter waited. It’s not that I neglected her, but I felt like I wasn’t giving her what she needed, especially when my husband pointed out that I was always putting our son first, albeit jokingly, but there was an element of truth to it that stung.

To be honest, I thought twice (or 10 times) about sharing this, because I thought it might make me look like a bad mom. But then I realized that I can’t be the only mom who’s ever felt like this. 

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