In Their Rooms

We have entered a new stage in the lives of my children.   They shared the same room for over eight years until last year, in a bold streak of maturity or possibly the desire to get away from her rambunctious brother, my daughter moved out to our guest room.   It took us a while to start calling my son's room his, instead of theirs.   It took us about the same amount of time to call my daughter's new room her room, instead of Nana and Papa's room (that being where they stayed when they visited.)

My daughter promised to stay with my son two nights each week, but that never happened as they both very quickly settled into the single life at home.   What's changed now that didn't happen at all before is my children want to be in their rooms alone.   They do a lot of playing around the house and outside and sometimes they do things in their rooms together, but for the most part, when they go to their rooms they want to be alone. 

They listen to audiobooks there and play with toys while listening to audiobooks.  They read for homework or do other child things in their room.   They shut the doors too because an open door might be an invitation for the other to barge in—and they are starting to like their privacy.   

It's a different feeling here these days with the children in their rooms, doing their own things.   It's a nice break some of the time.   What I suspect though, from talking to those who have older children, is this is the beginning of a stage that doesn't end until they leave home.   My children will be hitting puberty soon enough (has it been that long since I was pregnant?) and then they'll want to sleep late and avoid us as parents because we're uncool.   

The Big Boy Update:  My son has a loose tooth.   We haven't had loose teeth here for a while but it looks like the next stage of baby teeth are on the way out.   

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter spent all day today playing with Nora, the six-year-old new neighbor next door.   They play only outside and remain social distanced.   They have done chalk creations on the sidewalk, swung on the swingset, and played in the fort.   They even brought out tents and had a camp out in the middle of the day.   My daughter is so happy to have a new friend to play with.  We're very happy to have such nice neighbors move in.