Contrast Essay

I have three beautiful children. Their names and ages are Cameron 10 years old, Zachary 7 years old and Alexis 4 years old. Having had the privilege of parenting both sexes, I have noticed a huge gap in the way that my sons behave in contrast to my daughter. My sons tend to be extremely loud, and they are great at making a mess, to get them to cuddle is like pulling teeth. My daughter, on the other hand, is so mild spoken she needs a bullhorn to be heard over her two brothers. She is extremely neat, and is always asking for a kiss, a hug, or some lap time. In no way am I saying that my sons are spawns of the devil because they can surprise me sometimes and act like civilized children. My daughter is definitely not an angel sent from heaven either, she can get down and dirty with the best of them, but the differences in the mannerisms of my children are quite noticeable.

My sons’ idea of a clean room is a path through the toys big enough to walk through to get to the bed. They are forever asking where something is because they can’t find it in among the jumble of Matchbox cars, legos, and other various toys scattered from one wall to the other. Neither one of my boys knows the meaning of put your dishes in the sink when you’re finished eating, and to get them to take a shower more than once a week? Forget it. Now Alexis on the other hand will pick up her toys when she is done playing without being asked. She puts all her dolls in the toy box and her Care bears in the plastic bin to go under the bed. She always knows where to find what she wants to play with, unless of course one of her brothers has upset the toy box. My daughter is usually the one to clean the table of the dishes after a meal. She takes her plate and silverware to the sink and then proceeds to pick up her brothers’ left behind dishes as well. Bath time for Alexis is very simple and she feels she needs to have at least a bath a day. I think she gets dirty outside on purpose just so she can get into the tub before bed at night.

The noise volume in my home is about as loud as a heavy metal concert. Cameron and Zachary think they need to holler at each other to speak. The noise level also rises when they decide to play cars or trucks. One son is the ambulance complete with blasting siren and the other son is the police car with accompanying tire squeals, motor revving, horn blowing and sirens. My boys also cannot complete a task without banging, slamming, stomping, or creating a complete racket. Alexis tends to be milder spoken. She is sometimes so quiet I have to ask her to speak up. When she plays she does not feel the need to make the noises that her toys would make if they were real. The only exception to that is when she makes her babies cry. Even then though, she doesn’t make the windows rattle with her voice. My daughter also knows how to close a door or cupboard without slamming it shut, and she can set an object down without dropping it a foot before it hits the floor or counter.

I remember when my sons were babies and I could cuddle and hold them all day long without complaint. These days, I’m lucky to get a hug before bed. Cameron and Zachary want nothing to do with anything pertaining to “mom”. I don’t get waves goodbye at the bus stop and I certainly don’t get a hug in front of anyone else’s eyes. Alexis loves to cuddle. The first thing she asks for in the morning is a hug and kiss. She can sit on my lap at the computer for hours without getting up, and I always get a hug and waves goodbye at the bus stop from her. She even tries to get a cuddle here and there with her brothers, but it doesn’t pan out for her very often. They don’t want to be seen as “babies” for showing a little affection.

It’s amazing the differences between three children who have grown up together in the same house. I often wonder what life will be like five or six years down the road. Am I doomed to be tripping over dirty clothes and toys until both of my sons move on to college? Will Cameron still be so unorganized and loud? Will Zachary still wear more of his food on his face and hands than he gets in his mouth? Will either one of them voluntarily give me a hug? Is Alexis still going to be the quiet, modest little neat-freak she is now? Will she still be willing to show me affection openly? Only time will tell.