Let’s be honest. Most of us have an “easy” kid. At least one that’s “easier” than the rest. I hesitate to say “favorite” kid, but that one kid could probably be considered your favorite, too.
We definitely have an “easy” kid in our house. And she turns 7 today!
I’ve been thinking about her a lot the past few weeks, leading up to her birthday, and thought I’d just write a post to reflect on her, and her “easiness”. Do you have an easy kid at home? I hope somebody out there can relate!
My easy kid
My “easy” kid was baby #4. I was pregnant with her during my first job out of Residency. It was a crazy busy time, but she was actually pretty kind to me during pregnancy. Things went pretty smooth, until the last few weeks when I was just (im)patiently waiting for her arrival. The older kids were all born at 38-39 weeks, but this one held out and was born on her exact due date.
All I could think was ”we’re in for trouble with this one”, since she wanted to hold out for the full 40 weeks. And it seemed like she was just going to do things in her time, in her own way. (Yep, all these thoughts actually went through my mind). Luckily, I was wrong. With her personality now, looking back, I think she just wanted to stay cozy and protected for as long as she could.
Moving on, she was by far my easiest baby to breastfeed. She was also the easiest to wean (she kinda just did it on her own). I had no problems leaving her with her grandparents or at daycare. Unlike some of my other kids (especially this last one!), I could actually put her down and she wouldn’t cry. I could actually get stuff done! She was also the easiest to put to sleep. We could make as much noise as we needed to while she was sleeping and she wouldn’t even move. When she wanted to sleep, there was nothing you could do to stop her (and she’s still that way today!). As a baby, as long as her little chubby self was fed, she’d just lay back, smile and play.
As she’s gotten older, she tends to be the one to get along with her siblings and friends the most. She isn’t perfect by any means, but she’s more likely to share and take turns than a lot of the other kids she’s around. And when she does get in trouble for something, she actually gets sad about it! This kid just always seems to want to do the right thing, and feels like she’s let you down if she doesn’t.
“Easy-going“ is definitely one phrase that describes her. If we can’t do something that she really wanted to do that day, she’s my only kid that’ll respond with just an “ok”, without complaining (at least, most of the time). Even with virtual schooling now during the pandemic, she’s one kid that I never have to check on. She gets her work done. She shows up for her live sessions and participates without any problems. Heck, she knows her schedule better than I do!
It definitely makes it a little easier to balance things in my own life!
The downside to having an easy kid
Although there’s a lot to brag about with my “easy” child, there are a few downsides. She tends to be a people-pleaser, which can be heartbreaking at times for me as her mom. There are times where she tries her hardest to be nice to someone or to try to be their friend, and she just doesn’t get the same response back.
Or times where she doesn’t stand up for herself the way she should. Another kid (even her siblings sometimes) may do something that bothers her, but she doesn’t always speak up about it or tell on them.
Even though we try our best not to compare our kids, it can be really hard not to. And this can create a bit of sibling rivalry between them. I think she knows she’s the “easy” kid, and the other kids know it too!
She can also be easily persuaded at times. Then, she gets into mischief and things she just wouldn’t have done on her own.
There’s definitely some “toughening up” that we’ll be doing over the years. And life lessons we’ll have to teach her to balance out her “easy-going” nature. But, she’s still only 7, with a lot of growth and learning still left to do. We’ll work on all that later. For now, I’ll enjoy how easy she makes her corner of my world. And all the snuggles, the care and compassion that comes with it.
To show your kiddos some love, grab these Free Printable Love Notes For Kids below! You’ll get 24 notes that you can use to encourage your kids – whether they’re easy or not! You’ll also get access to my Resource Library with tons of helpful printables and checklists, plus my weekly newsletter to help you balance your many roles. Check it out!
Want to remember this?
Pin this post – Do You Have An Easy Kid At Home? – to your favorite Pinterest board!
Do you have an easy kid at home? I’d love to hear all about it! Just leave a comment below!
