The relationship between siblings is a very special one, which is built from the moment a new member of the family arrives. Among them a very special and unique bond is created, which they share in many moments of their life: in the happy, the sad, in the pranks and in the achievements. Having siblings is certainly something positive for children.
But there is also another relationship that can be unique and wonderful, especially if it is cultivated from an early age: cousins. Today I want to talk to you about why you should feed that bond with them since childhood and the important role that cousins play in the lives of your children.
A bond that begins in childhood
I want to start this article by telling you a little about my experience and why I decided to write about this topic. My sister and I (the only daughters of my parents) we were the last to reach the family from the maternal side.
On the part of my mother, the closest cousin took us 7 years and he in turn was many years younger than his three brothers. There were more cousins but with them the difference was more than 15 years. We lived together little and the difference in age meant that we had little or nothing in common.
On the side of my father, the ages of the cousins are closer, we are seven in total, but there were very few times we met. While we played together and lived in parties and family gatherings, we were never great friends. But there is something I have noticed in my paternal cousins: among them there is a great friendship.
I suppose that their mothers, my father's sisters, tried to frequent them and spend much more time together. There is a bond that between us (my sister and I) and they (my paternal cousins) never had. Just now in our adult life and being mothers is when we have come a little closer and find things in common.
Now that my sister and I are mothers, we make sure our daughters spend time together several times a week, and I must say that no doubt there is now a strong bond of friendship and affection between them. From my family history and from what I now see with my daughter and her cousin, who takes less than a year and a half, I see that the bond between cousins is one that has been born since childhood.
Why cousins are important
As I said at the beginning, in addition to the brothers, the relationship between cousins can be a very special and full of love. That is precisely why it is important to do our best because our children live with their cousins. I share now, three reasons why we should feed this beautiful relationship from an early age.
They are your children's first friends
If you are lucky that your children and their cousins are close in age, you may see a beautiful and enduring friendship born before your eyes. In addition to the brothers, the cousins are those first friends, the accomplices of the first pranks and adventures of your children.
They are brothers of another mother
With a cousin they share the family, but they live in different houses. They are a kind of combination between a brother and a friend. In addition to the link that can be born between them, they are joined by the love they have for their uncles, making their relationship even more special and meaningful.
It is a lifelong friendship
By spending time together, they will undoubtedly live different experiences and will create memories that will last a lifetime. Not only will they play and have things in common, but they will also grow together and accompany each other in the different important moments that occur in their lives.
I did not have a close relationship with my cousins due to different factors, I would certainly have liked to frequent them more to have a special bond with them. But I see now with my daughter, which is something that we must build from the first years. If your children are lucky enough to have close cousins in age and live nearby, they are very lucky.
