I've meant to write about this topic for quite some time but, alas, I have four wild boys and time is in short supply most days.
So I'll will sum up this little quirk of society that I can't help but notice.
I have four children, which is considered near mad where we live. There
is a heavy Asian influence in our area but I am not convinced that this oddity is just cultural pattern because of that. We also have large Persian, Indian, and Jewish populations and they also tend to find the idea of four children rather insane. Well...except the Jewish population perhaps. I think the local ones tend to be larger than normal as as we have two synagogues in the neighborhood I have ample opportunity to see them out as families as they walk to and from worship every Saturday. Anyway, the point is that - yes we live in an unusual place that is populated with many people who are visiting from other countries for a few years or culturally and historically tend toward smaller family sizes. And yet, I wonder if this phenomenon that I am about to describe is becoming more common place around the country in general.
Back to my four children. I am one of the few mothers in the entire elementary school population that can boast of having three or more children. Seriously. Only a handful of families have more than two. Two is the norm. And one is more popular than three or more. Many of my Asian friends are astonished and have indicated that from where they come from (mostly Japan, Korea, and China) that they are unusual among their friends to have two children. And I have the courage to have four. Yes, they often tell me that they are impressed that I would choose that many. So I don't think they are being rude, just sort of awestruck. Even most of my Indian friends have only two. Whatever size of family they choose is fine by me. However it works out, works out.
Since I have had Baby though, I have noticed that the children that go to school with my kids (who mostly come from one or two children homes) find babies to be rockstars. Six is extremely popular as a result. Most of the kids know him by name and come up to talk to him and ask to touch him
all the time. I cannot walk with Baby without gaggles of elementary school children following me and asking how Baby is.
At first I thought that it was because he was new and exciting. But it still happens. Some of the children are even brave enough to ask to hold Baby. Then I realized why this was happening. When you come from a one or two child home - by the time you hit elementary school age, babies around you are a thing of the past or a rarity. I started looking around the school and realized how few babies all of these elementary-aged children come into contact with on a regular basis.
On the one hand it made me sad. On the other hand I understand what a true blessing every baby is. And now when kids ask to talk to Baby or touch Baby, I understand why they are so enamored.
I am grateful that my own children have so many brothers to play with at any given time of the day. But then I think about Baby. He is the last. And when he is elementary-aged he will no longer be around babies. He will be like all these other children.
So...in five or six years, I will have to make doubly sure that we have friends with babies so he too can see what an amazing gift a baby is to be around. And that, in itself, might just make me considered mad. More so, that raising four kids in the first place.
Oh well...the things we do for our kids...
