Sibling Rivalry

A typical scene whenever we got together, I mean my family and my sister’s family. Her three sons plus my two daughters, I always felt elated, a feeling I was crowned for being the mother of daughters who were supposed to be lot more silent compared to the adventure seeking three boys. “I never know if my kids are home!” I would proudly tell our cousins who would cast ‘lost cause’ look at the three boys shouting and screaming the roofs off. I would try to teach some sense to my sister in upbringing her three musketeers. “Get them into books, make them paint, let them have a favorite show, buy them games, give your laptop, blah blah.” Well, these are some things I had gotten into my two doves who sat in one corner happy with any gadget they could lay their hands on.
But of late, away from my sister and her screaming boys I feel the scene from her house is replaying itself in my house too. My silent girls have turned more skirmish and well, bit too loud too (sigh!). “Mama, can I play your phone please!” my li’l one comes innocently just when she sees her elder sister fiddling with it. On many occasions I chastise my elder one and make her give in to the innocence of the li’l one. But I know my li’l one is not as innocent as she plays it. Take for instance, during bed time, I get in between the two so that both can have equal share of me but my li’l one goes,”achuuu….mama, its cold on the side, can I come in the middle?” To any outsider it may seem like an honest plea but the way she casts a mean look on her elder sister who is holding onto me I know its sheer sibling rivalry. I have no options but to relent. I give a quick wink to my elder one, she knows this wink means,” I’ll come in between after she is asleep.”
Being the eldest one, I know how it feels when the parents always support the li’l one just because the li’l one is the younger one, hence the blessed one. So I always try to balance the choices offered to my two kids. “Mama, I don’t like this song, I want the other song!” my very particular about choices elder one quips while her baby sister is dancing to a song of her choice. “You are going to switch to ana’s choice of song after you are done with this,okay?” And I shouldn’t forget to add, “ I love the way you dance to this song but aren’t you tired with just this one?” (laugh!laugh! smile! Smile!......that does the trick!)
My li’l one digs out an old invitation card from among their books and although she doesn’t know A from S, would religiously read,” mama and papa loves ana and don’t love me!” (Pout! Tears well up!) “Baby, who told you this?” I question, exasperated with the kind of stories my li’l one is capable of cooking up. “Look! Ana has her picture on this card. I never had such card!” Well, how can I explain to a three year old that that card happened when she wasn’t born only and the reason she doesn’t have a birthday invitation card is not because we don’t love her but because we missed two of her birthdays.” This year we’ll make this kind of card for your birthday too, okay!” I promise. She giggles gleefully and runs to tell her ana about her birthday plans.
...and there are many such competitions between the two that I am often left wondering, "As a parent, am I doing justice to these two people who look at me as if I am God of some sort, always!"