Tag Archives: Family

Five Things Better to Give Than Presents

It’s that point in the busy holiday season where we are all calling which corner we want to rock in later when we get a free moment. We say that you can keep on railing against the gods of time suck or you can make some adjustments. While we can’t stuff your stockings, hang your baubles, or roast your beast, we can help you find happiness amidst the hullabaloo. In fact, finding calm in the Christmas chaos is as easy as putting down the paper and scissors and putting on your thinking cap instead. We’re gonna keep this short and simple, folks, because quite frankly, who’s got the time, but here are five things better to give than presents. It truly is better to give than to receive, and these will bring you back to the holiday spirit in no time. Promise.

1) The Gift of Experience

We both believe that experiences trump things. To that end, over the years, we have given concert tickets, special trips, museum visits, and special lessons. We could say that the memories from those special moments were as much a gift to us as to our kids. But spending special time with their awesome moms is the ultimate gift for our kiddos AND they usually end up with a souvenir AND we end up with great pictures! Consider this idea a win-win-win!

Bonus that these gifts don’t need to be wrapped either.

The lads and Ellen AND her kids had a brilliant Christmas.

2) The Gift of Tradition and Time Together

We both be-deck our halls and weight our trees with as many memories as the walls and limbs can stand, but we never underestimate the power of unplugging.Erin’s family kicks it old school with a new puzzle every year. After they work as a family to put it together, then they mount it, and use it for a Christmas decoration the following year. A foolproof plan for fun and festive flair!

We both also give games. Sure, one might argue that our deeply rooted competitive natures might be at the heart of this one, but we offer this counter-argument. The Great Scrabble Rout of 2007? The Epic Camel Slaughter in Parcheesi? The time the four year old won the UNO tournament? These memories all rival any trip we have ever taken in the annals of family fun. So bottom line, you can think what you want. And if you are coming over this Christmas, be prepared to pick a card.

Every year, Grandma likes a photo with all of her grandbabies. It goes reasonably well most of the time. Not this year, apparently, but most of the time.

3) The Gift of Memory

Each year we both work our Shutterfly accounts like a boss to create calendars with pictures from the past year to guide us through the new one. We also both make family yearbooks. Because we started blogging in 2011, Erin is a little behind so her family is getting the 2011 yearbook this Christmas. Resist the urge to point out that we are now in the fleeting days of 2016. She knows. She KNOWS!

We like the also ran photos more than the album-worthy ones. These are the memories we hope we don’t lose.

4) The Gift of Acknowledgment

Every year Erin’s kids pick someone who has been an angel to their family. Then they give a plate of cookies and an angel ornament to that person. The conversation as they decide who to pick each year is a gift to them all as they realize how many wonderful people they have in their life.

5) The Gift of Each Other

As a general rule, the best gifts don’t actually fit in a box or bag. When Erin’s kids were young, they spontaneously created a play one Christmas Eve. Even as the kids have crossed over into Planet Teen, they have never given up creating a special performance for that night. It is, without question, the best gift Steve and Erin get all year and they are really hoping that one of the videos from these performances will hit it big on Youtube. Then it can keep on giving all the way to the Ivy League. How’s that for a Christmas wish?

Watching a little girl get all her big cousins to play trains with her is wish fulfillment of a different but equally great kind.

But that’s not all.

Our trees are trimmed to the nines with handprints, school pictures, and handicrafts of all skill levels. Our schedules are crammed with band concerts and Christmas plays and choral recitals. Our houses are full of trays of cookies, homemade decorations, and gingerbread houses.

Apparently when boys outgrow gingerbread houses, they get creative and start crafting things on their own. Like the TARDIS from DOCTOR Who.

We know that this is the good stuff. So we clean up the glitter glue and the paper confetti on the floor, work our crockpots to the max to get dinner to the masses before each performance, and buy more cookie sheets to keep our little cookie sweat shops cranking. The big wide world will be taking these kids soon enough.

For now, we will just take a deep breath, enjoy the chaos, and be grateful for our gifts.

And if none of this helps, we have found that nothing will help you get your holiday spirit on like a reluctant angel.

These are some things that have helped us find the happy sweet underbelly of Christmas in the midst of the madness. Think of them as the cookies before the main course. What? Cookies don’t come first? We’ll never tell. It’s the most wonderful time of the year after all.

A merry, merry Christmas to all!

Erin and Ellen

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How to Help Your Kids Build Good Friendships with their Cousins

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We all are looking for a village to help us raise our kids. For some of us lucky ones, we have a built in safety net of extended family that fill this role nicely. Unfortunately, they don’t always live around the corner like they did in generation’s past. But nurturing these relationships and unique family bonds is not just a worthy goal, but one that will make the parenting gig so much easier. Here are some great ways to help your kids build good friendships with their cousins.

Want strong family bonds? How to help your kids build good friendships with their cousins | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

1. Reunite.

Want strong family bonds? How to help your kids build good friendships with their cousins | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms Erin is blessed to have married into a family nearly as boisterous and fun as her own. Every summer Dymowskis harken from hills and dales far and wide to meet and eat and reconnect. The date on the calendar is sacred and everybody tries to make it. Yes, these gatherings are effort, but they are so worth it.

2. Play Games.

When cousins are far away, it’s nice to have a shared experience and language to speak. Enter the humble board game. Whether cousin bonding means week-long Monopoly games, endless card games (especially Sleeping Queens Card Game and Munchkin Deluxe), or board game extravaganzas, games help break the ice and bring the fun easily with cousins who may not have seen each other in over a year.

Want strong family bonds? How to help your kids build good friendships with their cousins | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

There may not be training for these events, but that doesn’t mean it’s not intense competition.

3. Create Traditions.

For both of our Maryland families, sharing a bushel of the crabs is a precious summer memory worthy of a trip to our ancestral home every summer. We get practically giddy with the happy, family vibes we are all imbibing . . . or that could be the beer that goes so well with the crabs. But Steve’s family takes it a step further: they give everyone an engraved mallet for Christmas the year they learn to pick their own crabs. Little gestures like these go a long way to cementing bonds. Want strong family bonds? How to help your kids build good friendships with their cousins | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

4. Let them share pieces of your everyday life.

Cousins, even the ones that live 300 miles away, appreciate little peeks behind-the-scenes. Try to plan at least one visit where the places to visit are the ones you go to every day.

5. Share the big moments.

Baptisms, graduations, or even a real honest-to-goodness Pinterest wedding are the perfect time to celebrate the ties that bind you.

6. Try something new together.

Nothing brings cousins close like a shared new experience. Even silly activities will reign supreme and be remembered long after you have taken off that crazy hat.

A family that walks in a parade together stays together.

7. Use technology to bridge the miles.

We are so lucky to live in this age of technology. Whether talking through Skype, following each other on Instagram, Snapchat or other social media, or simply creating fun lasting memories of time spent together, leverage all that data for family fun at its finest. Want strong family bonds? How to help your kids build good friendships with their cousins | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms Growing up, Erin’s friend Mary taught her the delightful term “frousins” to describe the beautiful gift of cousins who are more than just family, but true friends as well. Here’s hoping we should all be so lucky!

-Erin and Ellen

Want strong family bonds? How to help your kids build good friendships with their cousins | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

How to Help Your Kids Become Friends With Their Cousins #parenting

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Hidden Park Gem in Frederick County, Maryland

This is the part of spring where you start dreaming up what you are going to do with your summer. If you are looking for a town with lots to offer families of all ages, we think that you should consider pointing that minivan towards the mountains and Frederick County, Maryland. Full disclosure: I grew up there but with the veritable wealth of great state parks there, the wonderful and walkable downtown area, and so much history everywhere, why haven’t you visited yet? Then you two could have family memories like these . . . Looking for family fun? Summer boredom busters? Great escapes for all ages? We have your parenting solution for great travel. Check out Catoctin Creek Park in Frederick, Maryland | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms and these. . . and even this . . .

Looking for family fun? Summer boredom busters? Great escapes for all ages? We have your parenting solution for great travel. Check out Catoctin Creek Park in Frederick, Maryland | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

We call this one “Erin, put down the darn camera!” Precious, precious memories all around.

As you can see, Frederick has many splendors on display for all visitors, but sometimes the very best things are right off the beaten path and that’s what I’m sharing today. While you are visiting the lovely Frederick, you should most definitely hit up our new favorite place to run children til they drop, the Catoctin Creek Park and Nature Center. This hidden gem has quickly established itself as a favorite with kids, teens, and adults alike. Looking for family fun? Summer boredom busters? Great escapes for all ages? We have your parenting solution for great travel. Check out Catoctin Creek Park in Frederick, Maryland | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms Tucked in Middletown Valley, the park is an easy drive up alternate route 40. Once you are there, prepare to stay for awhile because nobody is going to want to leave and there is a ton to do. From one awesome climbing structure . . . Looking for family fun? Summer boredom busters? Great escapes for all ages? We have your parenting solution for great travel. Check out Catoctin Creek Park in Frederick, Maryland | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms to the next . . . And with miles of trails surrounding the whole area, including a sensory trail that you actually have to hear, see, taste, and smell to believe, Looking for family fun? Summer boredom busters? Great escapes for all ages? We have your parenting solution for great travel. Check out Catoctin Creek Park in Frederick, Maryland | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms your family will be busy and engaged the whole day. Make sure that even if you have gorgeous weather like we did that you plan on spending a good amount of time at the top notch nature center there. Looking for family fun? Summer boredom busters? Great escapes for all ages? We have your parenting solution for great travel. Check out Catoctin Creek Park in Frederick, Maryland | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms Beautiful inside and out, this nature center has a ton of animals like this one in the newly expanded turtle pond, Looking for family fun? Summer boredom busters? Great escapes for all ages? We have your parenting solution for great travel. Check out Catoctin Creek Park in Frederick, Maryland | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms and your kids can even dress up like their favorite creatures in the excellent learning resource area full of costumes, games, and science enrichment activities. Looking for family fun? Summer boredom busters? Great escapes for all ages? We have your parenting solution for great travel. Check out Catoctin Creek Park in Frederick, Maryland | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms Through Maryland’s Parkquest program, we have visited a lot of state park nature centers. This county park challenges the best of them with its diverse and varied collection of live creatures available for the kids to see, excellent learning resource area, and knowledgable and available staff. We are hard to impress on this front, and we all were wowed! Some other special reasons to love this place:

The roof of the Catoctin Creek Nature Center is covered in plants. From producing oxygen to providing additional wildlife habitat and collecting rainfall, this thoughtful “green” feature emphasizes environmental stewardship in action. We love it!
The playground equipment is 100% recycled.
They write their own blog to keep their visitors informed and engaged. Check it out!
They partnered with the Potomac Valley Fly Fishers to offer fishing opportunities at the park too! Yay! Even more outdoor fun!

The bottom line is that you should definitely add this hidden park gem in Frederick, Maryland to your to do list this year. Excellent family fun for everyone!

Looking for great family fun in a great town? We found a hidden park gem in a wonderful place.

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2 happy nieces makes for one happy aunty!

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Easy Breakfast in Bed Ideas

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Even if you lean heavily to the “Hallmark made this holiday up” side of the great debate about Valentine’s Day, you should know that lots of people disagree including the one you may have committed to love, honor, and share the remote with for all eternity.

But before you start stressing about gifts or holiday getaways, remember that it really is the thought that counts. Sweet can also be blissfully simple. Here are some easy breakfast recipes and ideas that will make you make your special person feel the love this Valentine’s Day and any other special day on your calendar.

Looking for inexpensive, easy, but heartfelt Valentine's Day's ideas? These breakfast in bed recipes and gifts are perfect | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

1. Set the stage.

Nothing says “this was not an afterthought” like being prepared. Show your love you thought at least a day or two ahead by delivering all your yummy treats on a sturdy Breakfast Bed Tray .

2. Kick it up a notch.

You don’t have to be a Casanova or de Bergerac to bring the romance, but if your ability to string together coherent words of love went bye-bye with your epidural, here are some great ideas to help you tell your sweetie just how sweet they are.

My Basic Needs: Food, Clothing, Shelter, You: 30 Love Notes to Use Anytime, Anywhere

Looking for inexpensive, easy, but heartfelt Valentine's Day's ideas? These breakfast in bed recipes and gifts are perfect | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

Short, sweet, and easy. These will make it Valentine’s Day all year long.

Love Letters of Great Men: The Collection of Love Letters Drawn from by Carrie Bradshaw in “Sex in the City”

Looking for inexpensive, easy, but heartfelt Valentine's Day's ideas? These breakfast in bed recipes and gifts are perfect | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

This book was the best thing about the “Sex and the City” movie. Nod your head. You know it’s true.

Let it create some “Big” romance for you too.

Why I Love You: A Journal of Us (What I Love About You Journal)

Looking for inexpensive, easy, but heartfelt Valentine's Day's ideas? These breakfast in bed recipes and gifts are perfect | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms If your Netflix queue is looking a little stale, plan B.

If plan B fails, well, there’s always the other thing. Wink. Wink.

3. Feed your love.

Get to the good stuff. You don’t have to say “I Love You” with a song, you can say it with bacon. This is better. Trust us.

Looking for inexpensive, easy, but heartfelt Valentine's Day's ideas? This best bacon, egg, and cheese casserole is perfect | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

This Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Casserole is insanely easy and delicious.

Of course, everyone loves a little something sweet too.

Looking for inexpensive, easy, but heartfelt Valentine's Day's ideas? This best blueberry bread is great for breakfast in bed | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

This blueberry bread complements everything including a simple cup of coffee.

Everyone loves a good pancake. These pancakes are all dressed up and ready to wow with the power of their awesomeness.

Looking for inexpensive, easy, but heartfelt Valentine's Day's ideas? This best better than basic pancake is perfect for breakfast in bed | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

They are honestly so good that it’s hard to believe we don’t make these pancakes every day.

But while the above pancakes are the best, variety is the spice of life and sometimes you don’t have buttermilk handy. These cinnamon chip pancakes are such deliciously close runners-up, it is almost a tie.

Cinnamon Chip Pancakes | Looking for inexpensive, easy, but heartfelt Valentine's Day's ideas? This best better than basic pancake is perfect for breakfast in bed | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

Mmmmmm, cinnamon.

And for your favorite health nut, here’s a smoothie that anybody can love.

Looking for inexpensive, easy, but heartfelt Valentine's Day's ideas? This perfect green smoothie is great for breakfast in bed| Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

This smoothie has the perfect combination of flavors to win hearts and tastebuds.

We hope these ideas help make this Valentine’s Day the best yet.

With love from The Sisterhood, Erin and Ellen

Looking for a great Valentine’s Day idea? Check out these easy breakfast in bed ideas!

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Who Do You Love More: A Game Nobody Wins

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Recently we came across an article that launched a conversation for us. This post on Huffington Post explained why the author was choosing her kids over her husband. Really? We felt like we have read this argument before. Whether the mom chooses her kids or her husband or the dog or even her best friend, unless she is choosing a deserted tropical island, we call foul on any choosing at all. In our experience, the game of who do you love more is a game that nobody wins, and thus, another podcast was born.

Kids or husband? A podcast talk on this parenting question | Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

Check out our latest podcast with these highlights:

1. We talk about some great marital advice from Jen Hatmaker’s book For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards.

2. We discuss how it might actually be easier to put the kids first, but you can decide that one for yourself.

3. We talk about getting kids ready for college which we also talked about here and here and here.

4. We share about how impressed Erin’s son was when he saw her quoted on CNN.

5. We talk about how fathers are key to girls’ self-esteem.

The bottom line is that there is a lot to talk about here, so check it out by

clicking the link at the bottom of this post!

Thanks!

Erin and Ellen

Who do you love more: your husband or your kids? Podcast on why nobody wins this game

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20 Great Ideas for Family Game Night

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For family fun, movie night is a sure bet. We love them all–the good, the bad, and the guilty pleasures. You can’t quote movies like we do and be lukewarm about the silver screen. Sometimes even the best ideas can wear a little thin though and you are left looking for a little inspiration. Well, seek and ye shall find, friends. A good old-fashioned family game night is what all the cool families do to get their fun back on.

Need some family fun ideas? Check out all these great games for family fun---Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

Lest you think we don’t practice what we preach, this is the proof that Erin has board games in no less than five places in her house.

Need family fun ideas? Here are 20 great ideas for family game night---Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

And lest you be intimidated by the thought of being trapped around the table for too long with your fun hostages, er, family, the following games are not just entertaining, but they mostly clock in around an hour.

Ticket To Ride

This one is Erin’s mom’s favorite and there’s a great reason why: this is a board game for people who don’t love board games. If you haven’t played one in awhile, it can be hard to get back in the habit but this game will bring you back to the fold. With almost no reading, appealing train pieces, and simple but interesting moves, Ticket to Ride can literally be anybody’s game. Just about any age player can learn and even enjoy this game after playing just a few rounds, not an easy feat. Another plus: younger kids can play with older kids, a huge bonus with sprawling families like ours.

Great ideas for family game night---Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

Ticket To Ride – Europe

This version of the modern classic is more of the great fun above but with some important improvements that give this version it’s own devoted following. Building train stations, tunnels, and ferry routes up the fun factor and make this game lightning fast but also more cutthroat. This is a board game enthusiast’s game engineered for newbies and the combination is undeniably engaging. Enough strategy for hardcore fans yet simple and enjoyable for new ones, this game wins on all fronts. The bigger cards are a plus too.

Survive Escape From Atlantis 30th Anniversary Edition

Games are front and center of all of our extended family fun as well. Uncle Dan played this one when he was a kid. He was super excited when they rereleased this one and we are too. Sharks, whales, whirlpools, and a shrinking island are just some of the hazards that ratchet up the entertainment meter in this game. No reading in this one either, just all the joy that comes with chomping up your brother’s pieces and escaping your doom. Good times.

Great ideas for Family Game Night--Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

Front Porch Classics Dread Pirate Bookshelf Game

Erin’s kids wore this one out from all the play this got in rotation. Gold doubloons, a flag to capture, and actual treasure to loot are just some of the key features of this game for pirate-loving pre-teens. We have to point out just how swoon-worthy the pieces are. Kids will drool over the “gems” and “gold” and the pirate ships are beauties in and of themselves. So much fun all the way around.

Great ideas for Family Game Night--Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

The Settlers of Catan

This is one of our favorite games to lure sulky teens back to the family fold. Such a great combination of luck and strategy in the play, but what we really love is the great player interaction in this game. Reconnecting with one another is why we are doing this after all and this game has it as part of the overall game experience. Winner winner chicken dinner.

Pandemic Board Game

Kids love watching the disease hot spots pop up and assuming the different roles as disease-fighting specialists. Parents love that we are all working together to put out the hot spots. If the disease spreads, we all lose. If we contain the outbreak, we all win. Family fun and peace in one box. Fa-la-la-la-la.

Munchkin Deluxe

Tween boys lose their ever-loving minds over this game. At a price point under $30, it’s a great gift choice and with a gazillion add-on card packs, it’s a gift idea that you can recycle for his birthday as well. Keep this in mind for the younger set. It’s a winner.

Classic Parcheesi Board Game

All of the teens and tweens love this classic game, and, in the interest of full disclosure, this is THE game to settle all sibling scores in Erin’s family. But you have to get the version with the animals. Nothing like having the camels and the water buffalo duke it out in the end. Trust us on this one.

Farkle Classic Dice Game

With a price point below $10, this one could be a great stocking stuffer or perfect for a gift exchange. We play this all summer long and during snow days. Super-fast and fun.

Even more strapped for time? Can’t pull together a foursome? The next few games only need two willing players and 20 minutes.

Gobblet

Like Tic-Tac-Toe? Great. This game starts with that concept and blows it up and makes it about a hundred times more fun. We have yet to meet a kid that can say no to this one.

Family Game Night Ideas Whether You Have an Hour or Just 10 minutes--Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

Sleeping Queens

Erin’s family learned this one on vacation with our friends from Maine. We give this as a gift to every 5 year old kid we know. Invented by a little girl and created by her parents, it speaks to a kid’s heart and has some great early math skills. But the real genius is in the details. The rule that you can’t have both the cat queen and the dog queen in your pile at the same time? Genius. It’s this charm and wit that keeps us still playing this game as often as we do. Winner with boys and girls alike and tweens and teens and little kids and adults, so basically everyone! A fantastic vacation game!

Great ideas for Family Game Night---Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

Rat-A-Tat-Cat

Another great early math game that doesn’t feel like learning. Erin loves all card games and this one passes muster.

Great Game Ideas for Family Fun Night--Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

Labyrinth

Simple in design but complex enough to keep everybody happy and interested. Every move is a “shove” that changes the maze making finding the treasure you seek an ever changing challenge.

Great ideas for Family Game Night---Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

Stratego Original Game

In a land of a thousand games, this is the master. Kids love it. Adults love it. The idea of setting up bombs and armies is heady stuff and part of the long appeal of this classic. It’s fast, smart fun with only 2 players. A rainy beach day or boring Sunday afternoon staple.

Great ideas for Family Game Night--Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

Othello

Strategy games are always a favorite and this one is such a simple design and concept. The allure of trying to make all the pieces your color is hard to beat.

Great ideas for Family Game Night--Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

Cathedral Classic

Erin has owned 4 versions of this game. The first two were stolen by students because it’s that good of a game. Just trust us on this one.

Great ideas of Family Game Night--Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

But sometimes you want your games to party on . . .

Taboo – the Game of Unspeakable Fun (2000 Edition)

A party classic for a reason, it also brings the family fun like none other. Some of our favorite family memories have started with this game.

Great ideas for Family Game Night--Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

Would You Rather? Board Game – Classic Version
This game is a favorite of all ages, but teens love it too because it is also a big hit at slumber parties. Maybe if you pull out this game at the beginning of the evening, you can avoid your own sleepover disasters. We’re rooting for you!

And if you have A LOT of time . . .

Clue
When we have a little more time, and some quiet, Clue is always a favorite. The intrigue gets us every time.

Risk Game
Because who doesn’t want to rule the world?

As you may have guessed, we are huge fans of board games here at The Sisterhood. So give your Netflix cue a rest for a night or two. You know we love the movies too, but it’s fun to mix it up once in awhile. We really do wish that your family catches some of the particular magic that only comes when you find some time to reconnect over a good old fashioned game.

Looking for family fun? Great ideas for family game night---Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

Happy board gaming!

-Erin and Ellen

Need something fun to do for family fun? Some great ideas for a great game night!

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The Last Firsts and Other Reasons It’s Awesome to Be the Baby of the Bunch

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Siblings provide the dynamite in family dynamics. All that jockeying for position means that somebody has to come out on top. In our experience, that numero uno position can change daily or even hourly, but we will concede that some spots definitely carry with them an inherent advantage. Here are some reasons it’s awesome to be the baby of the bunch, especially a super-sized one like Erin’s.

Awesome to be the baby

1. The Last Firsts

Every moment is precious. Your parents may have seen “this” time and time and time again, so nothing is new here. But older is wiser. These moments are fleeting and they give the moment its proper due. This usually means that Mom and Dad are moved enough to douse an occasion, like First Communion, with a heavy dose of sentimentality, but not necessarily so moved as to spring for some proper attire or to schedule a haircut.

EXHIBIT A:

Why it's awesome to be the baby of the bunch---Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms

This would never happen to a first born.

2. Parents are more chill.

Having been there there and done that a time or five means that they seriously can barely muster a look let alone a sweat for the small stuff, so you get off a lot easier than your trail blazing siblings. They allow your hair to grow past your ears, don’t lose it when you leave your luggage behind, and have been known to let you scavenge for your own dinner. Need more proof? See EXHIBIT A. The good news for you is that they probably will barely notice that you haven’t brushed your teeth in three days. Leave it your siblings and close friends to bring that to your attention.

3. You appreciate the simple joys of life.

More kids means less cash. Your parents’ jet-setting days went away about the same time they invested in that second fridge to keep your brothers fed. This means one thing: YOU get excited when you get to go to a hotel pool.