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When our small family was growing in size and we would announce that we were going to have a new baby, we would wonder if the kids would be glad. We were never disappointed in their reactions. They would all brighten and clap their hands in elation! As the children grew to their teen years and began to distance themselves from home life, I wondered if they would still be happy. To my pure delight, my teens would be more than happy.
The greatest surprise was when we were in the hospital with a newborn babe, and my teens would be the first to ask to hold them! We have photos that tell that truth!
The best gift I received was when my teens, who were all wrapped up in their own world, would totally soften. I mean, their hearts would melt with love for this new little life that touched theirs! I loved to watch the genuine warmth that radiated as the teenager would cuddle and speak softly to the sweet face of this new infant!
The blessing in all of this, was that the teenagers in my home would be sweet and genuine through this new child’s growing up time! Sometimes, I would wish there was a new baby more often than every 2 yrs. so that our teenagers would be soft hearted and sweet all the time! It really is a blessing to have babies in our home just to see the softened hearts of our children at any age, but especially our teens! New life just brings a smile to our faces and a melting to our hearts as we view them with eyes filled with love for the young.
QUESTION: How has the arrival of a new little one affected your other children?
CHALLENGE: Take time to notice how a new baby in the family influences the rest of the family and share your thoughts with them.
Submitted on 1-21-2011 at 10:49pm
What a sweet message. We also have eight, but no teenagers yet. I had a friend tell me once that one of the best things about a large family is that when the teenagers are going through their troubled times, what they need most is the unconditional love they get from their youngest siblings.