Grace is extraordinarily left-brained. She loves to write, read, color, play the piano, sing, perform – if it is in any way artistic, she loves it and does it well.
Eli is extraordinarily right-brained. He loves to build things and take them apart, discover how something works and what it does (and if he can break it), replicate machinery he sees with Legos, and can do math like nobody’s business.
Everyone says you shouldn’t compare your children, but I have no other benchmark to use. My experience with reading is that Grace does it well and Eli hates it. My experience with math is that Eli does it well and Grace hates it. What am I going to do when Ada has homework every day?!?
What’s even more difficult is that they’re beginning to notice that the other’s strength is their weakness. Ouch. These two are polar opposites, and fight multiple times every day anyway. Add this into the mix, and it gets catastrophic. So not only am I trying not to compare them to each other, but now I have to convince THEM not to compare themselves to each other.
Sometimes when I hear someone say mothering is the best job in the world I just want to smack them. That’s only half of the truth. It’s also the hardest. THE hardest.
How I remember, Janna! Our twin grandchildren are much like Eli and Grace. They love competition and so they each have to work to improve their weaker areas as the competition. (% of improvement-a little subjective, but it works!). Also they "help" one another with the "homework" their parents assign when they don't have other work. Sometimes they have a showdown with their parents and get to work as a team to answer the questions given them to earn ice cream.
None of that is said to disagree with you. And these things may not even work with your kiddos….Parenting is HARD…and worth every minute!
Amen!! The best??? Well, sure, there are plenty of heart-melting moments, or we wouldn't do it. But there are more HARD moments, it's just that they're so cute!!
Kristy