Are We Putting Too Much Responsibility On Our Kids?

People are constantly asking me how I handle three kids while Joel is away for work. I do a lot to stay sane, but the first thing I say is I have an amazing helper, Liam. 

Liam is my oldest. According to him, he's theee and four on his "nuther birthday." He's little, but has the biggest heart. Liam's always asking how he can help. 

He's always getting me diapers, throwing things away, attempting to wash dishes (bringing his dirty dishes to the bathroom sink), and so much more. 

Lately, I've been worrying I'm putting too much on him. I love his help, but I don't ever want to feel like being an older brother is a burden. 

I brought my concerns to Joel and he had a surprising response. 

He started talking about what a blessing it is to be an older brother. In Indian culture, the older brother has a lot of responsibility. It's their job to take care of their siblings. I used to think they all probably hate how much is put on their shoulders. 

This week, I was able to see this first hand. I was surprised by what I saw. 

This weekend, I saw Joel's cousin helping his siblings with homework, playing with them, listening to them, and helping out his hardworking parents. It wasn't just something he had to do. He took pride in his responsibility. It wasn't just a job to him. I couldn't help but stare. 

I want liam to see that. I want to teach him what an important responsibility it is to be an older brother. His little brothers will always look up to him and try to do what he does. 

How do we teach him to be a good big brother? By loving him and teaching him to love his brothers. 

I could give you a list of things to do and what not to do, but in the end there's one thing we go back to everytime. Love each other. 

As he loves his siblings, he will want to take care of them and be there for them. Sure, he will still have times where he bosses them around for the sake of bossing. It's inevitable. He's a little kid. However, I want to raise him to love his little brothers. 

How have you taught your kids to be a loving older sibling? Or were you the older sibling in your family?