I ve heard it said that no two children ever have the same parents. I know that is true when I have conversations with my adult siblings; sometimes when I discuss my mother with my brother I come away thinking we were talking about two completely different people. He and I are next to each other in age - only 14 months apart - both middle children in a family of four, but we know our mother in completely different ways. This must be true for my own children, as well.
Even more obvious in a large family is the truth that no two children have the same childhood. I look at my six year old now, and remember life in our home when my eldest, or second or third was six, and realize how different my children's experiences are! My fifteen year old is acutely aware of this, remembering far more spankings than he sees administered; I am acutely aware of it when I realize that regular bedtimes, rigorously monitored movie watching, long, messy craft projects at the kitchen table and hours of reading aloud every day are things of the past. My youngest daughter's life is full of teenagers and ipods and almost-adult conversation at the dinner table. She lives in a large, Asian city instead of an old New England farmhouse with a brook and climbing trees; she does not get to listen to Winnie the Pooh audio CDs on long car rides, but endures hours of U2, Bob Marley and Counting Crows.
The shape of her childhood - youngest of seven - is clearly reflected in her carefully written Christmas list which appeared on the refrigerator two days ago. I'll reproduce it here, and let it speak for itself.
1. Floaty Canoe
2. Roller skates
3. A Blanket
4. Slippers
5. Candy
6. Squirt Gun
7. A Surfer Suit
8. Iguana
9. Violin Lessons
10. Hair Spray - the DVD
11. Henna
12. Sling Shot
13. Surf Board
14. Cell Phone
15. Stationery
16. Laptop
17. Rabbit
18. Littlest Pet Shops
19. Littlest Pet Shop House
20. Baseball Hat
21. Dress Ups
22. Night Light
23. Frisby
24. Incense
25. Wallet
26. Marbles
27. Sleeping bag
28. Hot Weels cars
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