My relationship with my children has grown into something I never expected, something that still amazes me each day. From the moment each of them came into this world, they formed a bond with me that has only grown stronger with time. Now, looking at how close they are to me, and how naturally they gravitate towards me for almost everything, I sometimes sit back and wonder how this connection became so deep.
My eldest son has just started university, and his brother is going to be in his last year of high school. Even though they are at that ages, they still rely on me a lot and like it when I take part in their personal affairs. The girls, on the other hand, are on another level. They have this manner of holding on to me that makes it hard for me to move sometimes, but I really love it. Every night they still sleep across my body as if that is the most natural thing in the world. It has been like that since they were little, and somehow it has turned into part of our family rhythm.
My youngest daughter, who is just ten years old and already in her first level of high school, has had this attachment to me since she was a baby. I used to carry her to bed every night, and even though she has grown, the routine has not completely changed. These days she sometimes falls asleep while reading, and I still wake her gently, guide her to her room, and make sure she is comfortable before I leave. Doing that feels natural to me, almost like a continuation of the bond we built when she was too small to walk.
One thing that has shaped our closeness is the simple fact that I have always been the one taking the children to school and bringing them home. little things kept piling up over those drives to school and back home, and that has been going on for many years now. We talk during those rides, laugh, plan things, argue sometimes, and share stories. Our daily routines were the building blocks of our relationship without me realizing it at that moment. Soon I was the one they came to with everything; schoolwork, projects, minor needs, major needs, and even the emotional side of things.
It's still shocking to me that they hardly ever ask their mom for anything unless I tell them to. If they need something and I am not home, they would rather wait until I return than go to her. It is not because she is unfriendly or distant. Their mom is a good woman, but she is always busy with her shop and usually returns late in the evening. By the time she is available, she is tired, and her interaction with them is mostly centered on chores and responsibilities.
Meanwhile, I return earlier, and I blend work with play when they are around me. Throughout the years, I have used them in the kitchen more than she has, engaged with them more often, and spent long hours with them during the weekends. It is a fact that Sundays are always noisy, energetic, and full of laughter with the children while she stays quiet, doing her own things.
Our home dynamic is not based on any rule or expectation, it just happened to be this way. And even though I sometimes question the reason why the children relate to me more than they do to their mom, I feel fortunate every day to have such a bond with them. It is personal, real, and means a lot to me deeply.
La relación única que comparto con mis hijos
