The Day My Daughter Cried | The Magic of the Words 'Because You're a Big Sister'

One morning, my three-year-old daughter cried and pleaded with me,
I want to take the day off from kindergarten today and play with Mommy.
Caught up in the busyness of the morning, I replied,

Mommy has to work, so I can't take the day off!
Hurry up and get changed!!
I'm leaving you behind!!
It's a scene that happens all too often, but


after I managed to soothe her and head to work,
the image of my crying daughter stayed vividly in my mind.

She is this kind of child.
She loves crafts, puzzles, and playing with things that require dexterity.
She loves princesses just like the books say, spinning around and striking a pose.
She can eat by herself and get dressed on her own.
Lately, she's even mastered going to the bathroom by herself.


Then, she got a little sister.
It's her daily routine to say, "I love you, little sister," and kiss her on the cheek.
Even though she can't read yet, she reads the picture books she's memorized
to her little sister at bedtime.
Patting her back afterward is part of the set.
Before I knew it, she had become a full-fledged big sister.


Because I'm a big sister, I'll comfort you.
Because I'm a big sister, I'll feed you.

Because I'm a big sister...


The moment she cried and said she didn't want to go,
the magic of those words wore off.

Thinking about it now, fragments of her patience were scattered everywhere.


She actually wanted me to feed her.
She actually wanted me to help her get dressed.
She actually wanted me to hold her.


Chasing after work, housework, and caring for the baby,
I had been pretending not to notice those little fragments of patience.


It's okay! You can do it yourself because you're a big sister!
I felt reassured by those words of hers.


I had seen it on some parenting site:
Put the older child first.
I thought I was doing that, too.
But perhaps she wasn't satisfied.


Using my busyness as a shield,
I pretended not to notice her true feelings
hidden behind the words "because you're a big sister."


And I hated myself for responding with cold words
to her, who had rarely cried and pleaded with me.


Let's go out together on our next day off.


I'll tell her this today.
But, being the kind girl she is, she will surely say,
Little sister should come too!

My journey of raising two children has only just begun.