The Middle Child

Sometimes I worry about my middle child.  He's not the oldest or the youngest....but calling him the middle child just doesn't do him justice.  He's my Sean.

Sean is the second child in our family and the second boy.  Because he's only 22 months younger than Ryan, he and Ryan are often doing the same things.  As a result I feel like we often forget that our little Sean is younger.  He's only 3 years old, but because he is often included with Ryan we treat him like he is older.  That isn't always a bad thing, but I do worry that we may sometimes neglect his needs.  And the last thing I want to do is to rush any of my children to grow up.  

With each child you raise there are certain aspects of worry.  With Sean I worry that we won't show him enough how individual and special he is.  I fear that he doesn't get enough solo attention.    

He may be the second child and second boy, but he is so beloved.  He has such a sweet and affectionate nature to him.  He is smart and kind.  He has his daddy's temper and sweet tooth.  He is a loving brother to Ryan and Leah.  

While there are challenges to raising the middle child, there are some benefits too.  Sean is able to follow Ryan and learn from him, and he is also able to teach Leah.  Sean is able to relate to both his siblings.  Even though he is in the middle, just like the meat in a sandwich, he is so important and nothing would be the same without him.  

I strive to make sure I take enough time to show him how important he is.  He's my Sean, who just so happens to be the middle of the birth order, and I could not love him more.