My brother Andrew is four years younger than me.
That meant he was the perfect age for me to boss around. He was the perfect student in my pretend classroom, he bought all of the items from my pretend store, and he dressed up and acted in all of my plays. Poor kid.
Luckily, he survived childhood with a crazy older sister and is now a student at Oregon Law School.
Yes, another brother is far away from home (Read about my youngest brother Bill in 20 Songs to Sing with Your Baby).
Fortunately, Andrew took a year off to be at home before heading to law school. During that time, W and his cousin were able to spend quality time with their amazing uncle.
W just loves his “crazy” Uncle Andrew. When Andrew would walk into the room, W would immediately flash a huge smile. Then, Andrew would pick him up and throw him in the air. W would laugh and laugh. Andrew is really so good with the babies.
Even though he is on to do great things in Oregon, we will most certainly miss him back here on the East Coast. Family get-togethers just aren’t the same without him- the life of the party.
So, in honor of my younger brother’s birthday, here is a list of ways to be an amazing uncle- just like Andrew.
How to be an Amazing Uncle or Aunt
- Smile, Make eye contact and Have Conversations: A lot of people aren’t really sure what to say to babies. On her blog The Military Wife and Mom, Lauren wrote about how frequently adults fall back on complimenting looks or outfits when meeting kids. Andrew is different though. He smiles, looks the babies right in the eye and has a conversation with them. You may not be quite the talker like Andrew, but it really means a lot to children when you make an effort to talk to them as people.
- Listen: This goes along with number 1. W may not have much to say right now (yes, more, ball, food), but it is still important to give babies a chance to express their feelings. If you start listening early, it’ll be easier to get your niece or nephew to open up as they get older.
- Dance, Sing, and Be Silly: It doesn’t take a whole lot to entertain children. You don’t need to be Louis C.K.. Children love when you make silly faces, sing songs or dance. Andrew loves music and going to music festivals. He would frequently play his “interesting” music for the babies. I may not be into it, but the babies definitely enjoy it. Andrew had W and his cousin bouncing up and down, dancing along.
- Be there: I don’t mean you have to physically be there all the time. Although that would be ideal, it’s not always possible. We were very fortunate Andrew got to spend so much time with W and his cousin before he went to school. Even though Andrew is 3,000 miles away we still get frequent updates. What would we do without technology?
Aunts and Uncles are just the best (I have 17!). You can have fun with them and talk with them about things you wouldn’t tell your own parents. W is so blessed to have such great uncles and aunts. I look forward to watching the bond between W and his Uncle Andrew grow.
Are you an uncle or aunt or do you have one? What do you like most about being an uncle or aunt? What is your favorite memory of your own amazing uncle or aunt? Let me know in the comment section below!
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LOVE LOVE LOVE this blog! I am having so much fun spending time with my new niece, Grace. She’s starting to smile now and developing a little personality and it’s so exciting to see that unfold. Thanks for the tips on how to be an even better aunt.
PS. W is just too cute!!!
Angie- Thanks so much! Your new niece is just adorable! I saw her picture on instagram. I know you are probably the best aunt. You’re an amazing teacher that’s for sure!
Lately, I do not feel like the best aunt (tia) I’m miles away from all my nieces and nephews and sadly, distance has kind of taken away from the relationship we once had. Most of them have phones now, so I text and send pictures 🙂
When I visit Texas though, everything falls right back into place, and I’m their crazy tia Dean, who loves ’em up 🙂
I love those babies!!
Great topic!
XOXO
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Mrs. AOK- It’s so hard to be away from family! It can be fun to visit fun locations though. I hope to go out to see my brother in Oregon if we can.
Hmmm, I notice that drinking before and during the chatting is not listed as a tip from Uncle Andrew… Haha, we miss Crazy Uncle Andrew!! How is he getting his “workouts” in without any babies to throw and swing around??
Melissa- haha, That should definitely be a tip for Andrew!
Loved this blog entry! First if all Andrew isn’t just a great uncle but a great cousin too! Emily wants him to give a toast at her wedding someday. I’ve had so many wonderful examples of aunts and uncles. It helps to also have fantastic nieces and nephews too! W is lucky to have such a great family.
Aunt Tricia- Thank you! I seriously have the best aunts! haha, I’m sure Andrew would gladly give a toast at Emily’s wedding. Honestly, he might give one even if she didn’t want him to give a toast haha.
Yes, I am an aunt. A very PROUD aunt today. I just love this blog post Tricia. A very Happy Birthday to Andrew and kudos to his sister who sang his praises today. I love you both very much.
Ann Marie- Thank you! You just made my day! We love you too!
Thanks so much for mentioning my blog, Tricia. You are too kind! Tweeting now!
Talk to you later,
Lauren
Lauren Tamm recently posted…Busy Stay at Home Mom: How to Get Things Done
Lauren- Your welcome! I loved that post of yours. It really made me think.
My Aunts and Uncles are amazing role models for me. It’s a treasure to have adults other than your parents love you and really care about you! I am an Aunt to the best nieces and nephews and I love them all very much. I can’t begin to tell you how happy it makes me to see you all as you become Aunts and Uncles, and you’re all so good at it. W and cousin J (and new cousin) are very lucky.
I know that I miss Andrew so much, and I’m sure the babies do too!
Mary Kay- Yes, I think we are all really lucky to have such a great, close family! Thank you!
W is so lucky to have Andrew! I was lucky enough to have my nephews spend weekdays with me and my boys during the summers. I have always tried to be their biggest cheerleader! We are so close now and I get to know things they wouldn’t dare tell their parents!
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Michelle- That’s great. I hope to be like that with my niece and future nieces/nephews! W is a very lucky boy!
This is wonderful! Such wonderful tips for all adults!
I agree, many people don’t know what to say to babies and toddlers and often fall back on compliments but there’s so much you can say to engage with them and it DOES make a difference.
Thanks for sharing and linking up to the #SHINEbloghop.
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
xoxo
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Jennifer- Thank you for your comment and hosting such a wonderful bloghop!
These are some great tips! Often we don’t take the time to listen to kids and when we do – you really connect more with them. I like that the Baby Whisperer really advocates treating babies like real people and talking to them, telling them what you are doing etc. We really don’t know when they start understanding us so why not start right away!
Kim- Yes, I think babies understand a lot more than we realize. They say that they understand what we saw way before they are able to form their own words. Thanks for the comment!
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