She is always receptive about hearing about my kids but as soon as i'm done its countered with something about her's. It cant ever just be about mine.
No I dont think she wants her kids to be following mine - I think she wants them to be leaders. My kids I've always tried to teach to walk their own paths. My son is beligerently independant - when he was younger he always wanted to be different from everyone - befriended the kids no one liked (had a real soft spot for the special ed kids), did his hair the opposite of what other kids did, dressed differently - then all the other kids just followed suit with exactly what he did. He's very popular, girls adore him and although I hate the term he is the "cool kid" that all the kids want to be like and all the parents warn you to stay away from.
My daughter is very quiet and actually does things just because she likes them - she doesnt understand the compliment in people following her lead. She doesnt want to be a leader but because she excels in things and is so pleasant to be around she ends up in that role. Her teachers adore her and recommend her for every special honor where as my friends daughter is very smart but can also very difficult - she has all the potential but doesnt know what to do with it. Dont get me wrong - she's a great kid but I think they are BOTH great kids for different reasons.