As women and as moms, we wear a lot of hats. We chauffeur, cook, clean, nurse, train, and work. But less often talked about are the many hats that our children wear. We aren’t always conscious of how often our kids, whom we love with all of our hearts, are switching roles just as effortlessly and gracefully as we are.
My son just turned three and I’m still a little weirded out and weepy about that milestone. I think I’ll focus on him for this post as an example of how one little boy wears so many hats.
My little buddy is my oldest child, which means he and I had A LOT of time together. We were inseparable and I will forever cherish the two years we had at home - just him and I. Then his little sister came along. However, her presence was known long before her arrival because I was incredibly sick throughout my entire pregnancy. This meant my son had to adapt quite a bit. We didn’t leave the house much, we watched lots of movies, and we did the best we could to survive those long nine months. He was my pal, and he hated how sick I was.
Then baby girl arrived for real. He went from having 100% of his mom and dad’s attention to 50%. And, let's be honest here, most of the time it was a whole lot less than 50% from me. I became tougher on him. It’s as if I needed him to suddenly be more responsible, more mature. I expected so much change in him in such a short amount of time that he had no choice but to grow up quite a bit.
Nowadays, he is in full-on big brother mode. Though baby girl isn’t quite a year old yet, he is head-over-heels in love with her. Even her 7-minute nursing sessions are too long of a span of time for him to be away from her. He loves giving her her kitty when she’s sad, he loves running to her nursery when she wakes up from naps, and he loves when she is trapped in places he plans on her getting trapped in.
One of the major changes he has had to face in becoming a big brother is his switch from being Mom’s sidekick to Dad’s. These days he is glued to my husband’s hip. Those two have always had a bond, but it has grown exponentially since baby sis came along. Although it still stings a tad when he prefers his daddy’s embrace, cuddles, or soothing touch to my own, I love watching their relationship unfold.
He is quite the social butterfly, he always has been. He benefits from play dates almost as much as I do! It is super interesting to see which friends he gravitates toward. Most of which I have a hand in, but then there are a few friendships that I have almost nothing to do with that pleasantly surprise me. He plays really well with older kids and picks up on things way too quickly! He tends to be a little on the bossy side when it comes to kids just a tad smaller than him, which we’re working on. And then when there are noticeably smaller kids or babies around, he is such a sweetheart!
Because of multiple mistakes on my part (first time parent probs?), we just recently went through a tough week of breaking some bad sleeping habits. He mastered the negotiating, puppy dog eyes, and faking sick very quickly as he adjusted to this new and healthier sleep routine. That same week he also completed potty training! He was put through a tough learning curve, and was forced to mature yet again, and I’m incredibly proud of his recent achievements and the independent little boy he is becoming.
I think you get the point I’m trying to prove about hats worn. Our children are amazing! They go from being a mom’s sidekick, big brother, Daddy’s little boy, friend, trainee, patient, grandchild, and stranger all while working out who they are, what they’re learning, and how they're supposed to react to certain situations and interact with different individuals.
Keeping in mind the roles children have, I believe the most important one is kid. They’re only young once and it’s important to let them be little. Let them build towers out of your mixing bowls, teach them to find joy and positivity in simple things, and try to keep your cool when they’ve “explored” a little too far into certain areas of the house.
Now, what better way to celebrate the roles kids play and the hats they wear than, well, actual hats. Little Sun Hat’s bonnets and winter caps are adorable and stylish and play an important role in reminding us of the innocence our children have. Our kids are so resilient and pliable and loving, all while soaking in the world around them one day at a time. Here’s a glimpse into Little Sun Hat’s winter line.