My youngest daughter, I'm learning, is the most sensitive to small changes. She's the one that loves cards, a cupcake or having breakfast made for her before school.
She was cleaning her room the other night and found a greeting card I bought for her. I used to do it all the time and then life got crazy and I stopped doing it as much. She let me know she missed them and "homemade is good, too. A message on a piece of paper works". So I'm heading to the store today for card stock, glue, stickers and markers.
I'm learning, with kids, they only want to know that they matter. They want to know that no matter how busy life gets, you're going to show up and be there. I'm proud of her for finding her voice and speaking up more about what she needs.
She's gotten the short end of the stick in a way. Her oldest sister, when really sick, gets a lot of my focus, which she understands. Plus, the twins were dx with a bleeding disorder and one twin went through months of blood transfusions, surgery to dx Endometriosis and hospital stays. Erin, the youngest, is exceptionally healthy, so had to take a back seat at times. She was also the most vocal about my drinking. I realize now it's because she was okay with having to handle life with sick sisters; she wasn't going to accept taking a backseat to my drinking. So, her speaking up means a lot to me and I'm listening with both ears.
Kids say a lot in their silence or in random conversations. So tomorrow, I'm making cards because a store bought one won't do.