The Joyful Symphony of Children's Laughter

Welcome to Episode 16 of Love in Focus: Building Community with an Only Child! Today, we explore the delightful world of laughter and playdates. Join me as I share a heartwarming realization about the frequency and volume of laughter when our little ones have friends over. It's a gentle reminder that our homes are filled with the joyful sounds of friendship and connection. So, fellow mums with only children, let's celebrate the precious moments when our houses come alive with the laughter of young friends. Tune in for a dose of warmth and camaraderie on this episode of Love in Focus.

Transcript

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Hi, my name is Four and welcome to The Love and Focus, the podcast for moms where we explore, discover, build community with our only child. Let's get going. Okay, you know what I mean. Let's start with the program. Oh my goodness. Little friends. And why am I laughing with the title little friends? This weekend, well, the couple of few weekends, we've had Olivia. Um some of her friends have been over to uh hang out and go to the barn with us. We're part of a co-op, and so because we own a Walara, there is a half Welsh pony and half Arabian. Olivia says that the that the daddy is Arabian and the Welsh is the female horse, um is the mama. So I'm laughing because as a mom, you know, with an only child, and you're used to a certain frequency. Now I don't know about you, but when you have other little kids in your car and you hear all the giggles and the giggling and the squirreling, she's six years old. And you hear that for a while, and as we're driving to go to a restaurant, I look at my husband, and I said, Man, they're giggling a long time, and the noise, the frequency is a lot louder. And you would think, um, because I grew up with siblings, I would remember that. But I did it, and he goes, Yeah, it's uh it's not the same free and it's like, duh, of course it's not the same frequency, because we all know with an only child, it's not unless they're laughing to themselves or they're watching a video or whatever, you know. But all I can say is it's a new um, I think it's a new season we're going into with Olivia having more of her friends come over and stay with us for more than a few hours. Like some will stay uh, you know, during the weekend, maybe five or six hours, and um depending, they could stay a little bit longer than that, and the noise, it's such a joyful laugh, and to hear that sound, but I'm like, man, it's just so noisy. So I don't know about you. Maybe um, you know, you're used to it now with your child having their friends come home with you, or they hang out with you when you take your child out in the community and you've got a little friend, a friend with them. But I I'm curious to s um when, you know, if you have a son, and you know, they laugh a lot too. I'm sure all kids laugh, but is it I don't know. I just know with girls when my daughter and her friends get together, it's a lot of squirreling and giggling and high-pitched little screams of joyful sounds. And I'm like, uh, it's gonna be a long, it's gonna be a long afternoon. And um when they go, it's it's almost like it's back to the normal, like that. Cuckoo, come on, and I don't realize how quiet we are as a family. Um, I know maybe you play some, you know, as a background, you always got music going on, and you got the TV going on, or you got animals like you live in a farm, or you're nearby traffic and the windows are open. But our house, um, people who stay with us or know us, they're like you too, you guys are pretty much quiet around the house. And I think there was one time Olivia said, Man, our house is too quiet. And I thought, do you want us to start yelling? I mean, she says, When I'm too like, trust me, moms, there's moments where um it's not quiet, where this mama is apparently when I yell, when I get frustrated or talk a lot louder, as according to my husband and Olivia, but for the most part, we're really quiet. So now I try to like now I play my podcast out loud or have my music um in the background, but then Olivia's got her shows or her music as she is dancing to her favorite uh Yippie songs. It's a yippie is a children's um it's a it's a channel and it has fun videos where um you know I'm not going to be concerned about the contact they're showing, is age appropriate for her, and she loves the music that is on this channel, yippie. And so um, yeah, I wanted to share about this episode because it made me curious about other families with an only child. Are they typically uh the sounds around the house is quiet, or do you like having the music going on, like I said, or you got animals, maybe um traffic, or maybe you moved into a location, and I think I mentioned in this in the first couple of early episodes, that the location itself was a busy like you're in the city where you hear the trains, the buses, people, you're in a your location, you're on the main highway, probably, and I heard a lot of trucks or semi-trucks go by. I mean, my grandparents, my husband's grandparents, they live close to um a main highway, so you always hear a boob, someone is always honking their horn or it is crazy. And so if you were to move to a new location and it's quiet, and it's like kucka, kucka, okay. Why am I doing the kucka? I gotta say it's it would be different. So that taking that frequency and then putting it with my only child, then every weekend when she has friends come over for more than five or six hours, it's like hee hee hee hee he laughing and giggling and playing and that's my toy, or did she? It's like, oh my goodness. So that is interesting too, because when they're sitting, you know, in their car seat in the vehicle at the back, right? And I only have enough room. There's only four seats, so two in the front and two at the back. So when she her and her friend sitting at the back, and they're like, This is my toy, or does she do that? Or, you know, the the talking and the sharing and they're loud. I'm like, oh yeah, that's right. And I'm looking back, and I'm like, okay, kind words, kind hands, um, what's going on? You can sort it out yourself, and then they're laughing, and then they're just being kids, and I'm like, oh brother. And my husband, I'm looking at him and he's like, uh-huh, uh-huh. And I don't know if he said uh-huh to himself, like, uh-huh, it's awesome we have one child, or uh-huh, it's just gonna be like this every time. And we both love it, but we forget. We forget everything changes. So now that Olivia is a lot older, it's so different. And I mean older by six years old, because when she was a lot younger, you know, toddler stage, I would meet up with a mum and the you know, in their child, but now as Olivia's older, her friends are coming, you know, um by themselves to our house. And what is wonderful too, she because we know quite a few uh pure families with an only child, it is so awesome to hear their conversations, like if I'm on the calm or if I'm you know not too far. I could just hear, you know, my daughter and her friends saying, Oh, we're we're sisters, because they both understand they don't have siblings. And so the language is um they understand each other, they say things like, Oh, um, I I really like playing with you. And not that they wouldn't say it to anyone else, but you can just see how much they uh they really do uh, you know, is it like the hidden is saying it without saying it, because they don't have any siblings when we have a particular friend and their only child, um, you can just see um uh appreciation of the time that they play together, and the personalities is awesome too, because I say, Oh look, they're both firstborn children, they're an only child, and they uh have very lovely strong leadership skills. We'll see how they um blend together well, and it's it's good how they are it's good to see, you know, Olivia and her friends um just work that out themselves. And that's what I love about um Olivia having a variety of friends, and she has friends with that have siblings, and she has friends that um that are only children in the conversations and so and what I notice when she has friends and they have siblings and if they're the youngest, they tend to they tend to go along with my daughter a lot longer, meaning whatever she wants, if she picks something to play a game, they tend to say, Okay, we'll we'll let you do that. You have a pick first. As opposed to if we have a friend and she's also an only child, they will like uh but I want to do it first. And then they'll both add it until one of them usually and then sometimes Lou goes, okay. But it's interesting it's interesting to observe the ones with the siblings. Um, they will like go along with Olivia, and then but at the first only child, they'll be like, nah, I want to do it, which is really good, and so yeah, but I always I do my best and I encourage Olivia because we have a friend over, it is polite to ask them what they would like to do first. You gotta keep reminding her about that. It is polite, so a they want to come back and they have a wonderful experience, and that goes to show it's not always about you. Yeah, so um, if you have a little toddler, these are fun things to look forward to, and also as well, I'm at the stage where I don't have to be the one entertaining the little kids, I mean the six, the six-year-olds, Olivia's friends, I just let them uh explore and discover things and the toys. All I ask is most times if they're going to create a swimming pool in the living room, please put a towel under the bowl. There are times where I come and my daughter and her friends have created a swimming pool, they've got a big huge pot for their Barbie dolls, and there was no towel, and my floor was wet. I had little puddles. And what do you say to that? I said, you know, I'm so glad you both are very creative, and I love how you did the swimming pool, but because of the carpet, it would be idea if you put it in the kitchen where the um the floor, I don't have a carpet there, or you can put a towel under the pot, the large pot. They're like, oh yeah, like yeah, that would be great. So I always love encouraging their ideas. I just ask for them to modify how they go about their play. And so, mums, I just wanted to encourage you to have fun. There are always new wonderful adventures, there's always new things to discover in each season in your life as a mom with an only child. Uh, frequency noise is one thing that my husband and I are now discovering of how loud it can get, having friends come over for more than five or six hours. But the heart of it is a joyful laugh, and so, moms, I wanted to also let you know that you are the best mama for your child, you're the best wife, you are doing the best you can with the time that's given. You're a wonderful and awesome friend, and I really appreciate that you are listening to this podcast. My heart is for you to be blessed and to feel love, and most of all, to feel appreciated, seriously. Like look in the mirror and say, Yeah, I am awesome, and I just want to let you know that God loves you and give yourself a high five because you seriously are awesome, you're beautiful, and say welcome to your family. Say you're welcome. Like, uh, you're welcome. I love you, and I'm doing the best I can. I'm serving you, I am helping to raise this child with the time that's given, and I'm such an encourager. You say, You're welcome. I truly do. So, my name is Fau. Thank you for listening to me. This is Love in Focus, building a community with an only child, and just want to let you know, we're building love one episode at a time. Bye, have a wonderful day. Catch you on the next episode.