The first, the best: Durham NC Newborn Photographer

Y’all— this is just about the proudest big sibling I have ever seen, and that is saying a lot. As somebody obsessed with her own siblings, and working hard to foster a strong relationship between my own two, this big sister’s excitement over her new baby made my heart sing.

More and more, I am challenging myself not to “manage “ relationships between kids— my own kiddos or my photo niblings. Every sibling group has a unique way of relating, and it doesn’t necessarily look like one might expect. Sometimes it is the obsession that you see here. Other times, it is quieter, or has a lot more space in it. Ideally, it is an outgrowth of children being themselves and relating as themselves.

I have learned so much about this from other parents and other kin who work with children. For better or worse, building resilience in children is more important than ever. And that begins with allowing them to be themselves, and to be authentic in their relationships. Sometimes it looks like snuggling, sometimes it looks like parallel play, and sometimes it looks like giving them permission— encouragement!— to take space and find each other when they are ready. All good. All beautiful. All preparing them to repair this world in their own way, together.