I have always dreamed of raising my two girls to be best friends. I never thought it would be something that needed to be considered or worked towards. But I guess it might actually take some effort.
My sister and I are three and a half years a part. There were times when we were competitive and times when we didn’t want to share. But to this day, she is still one of my best friends. I talk to her nearly every day. Our kids love hanging out. We can talk about our successes and our challenges being a mom, a wife, a daughter or a friend. We can talk about our goals and our dreams. Sometimes we don’t agree. And sometimes we’ll try and convince the other to think the same way. Other times we are totally on the same page.
My sister and I are very different. Jade and Ivy are very different too.
Jade is beautiful and blonde. She is stubborn and sweet. She likes being the one in charge yet she will become a follower if she thinks it will improve her situation. Jade loves knowing that her family members love her and think she’s wonderful. She doesn’t insert herself in a group, she has to be invited and reassured. She doesn’t have patience when it comes to people making mistakes. And she is really hard on herself when she makes mistakes or thinks she did. She loves taking care of her little sister and giving hugs. But if she’s denied, her heart breaks and her spirit falls.
Ivy is beautiful and brunette. She is stubborn and sweet. She goes with the flow and if she’s in charge, she embraces it. If she isn’t, she accepts warmly whomever is, unless they don’t follow the rules or want to do something she knows is wrong. She is always smiling and laughing. She doesn’t care what others think about her, she believes she is beautiful and funny and wonderful, no matter what someone says about her. She loves being adored and will milk it for all that she can. Sometimes she’ll even go out of her way to make sure it continues. If someone isn’t nice to her she continues to call them a friend but moves on to the next best friend.
Tonight was a night that they put their differences a side and played and played and played. They threw a “party” and dressed up in cute costumes. They had a friend over (that is Ivy’s age) and they were in their best friend groove. Since school started, they have both been in that best friend groove more often than not. It makes me happy that they are different. But happier that they are so different but can get a long so well.
I just remind them every once in a while that they should try to be best friends forever because they are sisters forever. And they only have each other. I also always point out how happy it makes me when they are getting a long and having fun together.
Are you close with your siblings? Are you doing anything in particular to encourage your kids to be best friends?
Be sure and check out the Wordful Wednesdays at Angie‘s and Wordless Wednesdays with Julie.
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this was a great thing since i saw my self with this people.. thanks a lot.
Hello blogger. I like your post about Raising Best Friends The Family Trifecta.
I was wondering, i am planning to make a blog for myself. I want to use wordpress like you. Where did you get your template? If you post your answer here below, i will read this in the next few day’s.
Thanks Daten Blerick
[…] dropped us off by the door and we did a quick photo shoot while we waited. Then while we were hanging out, my dad saw an old friend that had just been […]
I didn’t like my siblings at all when I was a growing up. I am a lot closer with them now. I’m very close with my sister now. I think it’s important to be close with your siblings, but I’m not sure that “Best Friends” is what I will encourage with my Kiddo(s) to be. Good post, lots of things to think about.
Amy
Twitter: familytrifecta
Reply:
September 23rd, 2010 at 6:02 pm
I’m glad you like them now 🙂 You are lucky you are close with them now, I think sometimes it is harder to become friends with them later – when you aren’t in the same house and it takes work to see one another.
Twitter: stephsday
This is a topic I think on frequently. I so want my kids to be friends…close friends…”bosom friends” (to quote Anne of Green Gables). I, too, have wondered if it is something you can foster or something that just happens (or doesn’t). I prefer to think the former.
I have 5 siblings – 4 sisters and 1 brother. We all have “positive” relationships, but we’re not super close.
P.S. Your girls are beautiful!
Amy
Twitter: familytrifecta
Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 10:11 pm
i hope it does just happen but i think about different families and i’m just more confused. i know one family that grew up with very little focus on the kids friendships and now the kids are all best friends. While another family that didn’t do anything special, the kids now will go months without calling one another.
Twitter: makeitworkmom
I’m am very close with my twin sister and even the other 6 siblings. (we did have our differences at times, though, growing up!) I’m trying to instill the same as you are with my girls. Your girls are so beautiful! And they’re just as “different” as mine are. We need to get them all together sometime soon!
Amy
Twitter: familytrifecta
Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
we do need to get them together – my girls would love it.
your girls are incredibly beautiful! i love that you recognize and embrace the unique qualities about each of them. how blessed!!
Twitter: 7clowncircus
They are both SO incredibly beautiful…..and how wonderful that they know how to compromise and enjoy each others company!
Twitter: RandomCoolChick
They are beautiful! And I love how individual they each are! I’m very close to my siblings, too – especially my older sister, even though we all live so far apart, we visit each other when we can, and spend hours on the phone chatting. 🙂
Amy
Twitter: familytrifecta
Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 9:55 pm
I love hearing how others are so close to their siblings. It gives me hope that my girls will be close too.
First of all, fantastic pictures and those girls are just beautiful.
I’m pretty close to all of my siblings. Probably closest with my sister (we’re closest in age and the only girls), but I have a great relationship with my brothers too. I credit my parents for making sure we always knew how important family is with a lot of that, but also because they’re all so great. It’s hard not to be friends with people like that as family!
Amy
Twitter: familytrifecta
Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
that’s cool that your parents made sure you knew what was important. i’ve learned there are a lot of parents that don’t focus much on that.
I am very close with my brother who is 2 years younger than me. He is one of my best friends. My only sister is about 6 years younger than me. So we didn’t really grow up together and still aren’t close. I regret that.
Amy
Twitter: familytrifecta
Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 9:41 pm
there is still time for you and your sister 🙂
Twitter: ErinsMiracles
Awww they are so gorgeous! I never had a sister, but my brother and I were very close until his death at age 25, I was 23. My boys are 15 months apart and I can only hope they will be best friends!
Amy
Twitter: familytrifecta
Reply:
September 10th, 2010 at 9:33 pm
Erin, I am so sorry about your brother. I’m glad you got to be close to him. Based on your blog, your boys look like they will be great friends.