Blog Carnival 09.11.09 - I am the Cool Aunt

Bragging about myself is something that just does not come naturally to me. But I think I found a sneaky way around this - I'll talk about being an Aunt to the two cutest kids ever.

I am the Cool Aunt. Growing up, my mom was the Cool Mom, so I guess it comes naturally to me? It also helps that my neice is on the cusp of becoming a teenager, and in many ways I still feel like one myself. Sharing similar bad-childhood experiences is, oddly, helpful as well (not to disparage her current parents, who are awesome!!).

So how does one become a Cool Aunt? Well, it takes time. And patience. And a lot of trust between the two of you. Getting to know a child that you haven't known from birth isn't something you can rush. Once you do start getting along, it's important to listen, to comiserate, to be helpful with support and advice without making decisions for her or telling her what to do. There are always long pauses during our serious conversations, because I have to consider very carefully what I say. Choosing my words carefully is not easy for me - I'm currently trying to re-learn how not to swear in public. But when my neice and I sit down one-on-one, it gets easier.

Being a Cool Aunt also means fun excursions! Two summers ago I spent a few months "babysitting" her, and we did some fun artsy things together. Last year I helped chaperone her birthday party and the girls all made bracelets with my beads. Last week I took her to see the play "Wicked", and then the next day I was the chaperone for her bowling alley birthday party. Fate was fickle that day - only three other girls showed up, which upset her but made my job easier. We all had a great time though.

After the party, we went back to her house to hang with her new baby brother. He was born about a week ago, and he's pretty darn cute. There was some worrying in the beginning because he was born early (but fully matured), then a few days later he was in the hospital for a little jaundice, and he was just back home when we returned from the party. So how do you be a Cool Aunt to a baby boy?

A. throw an awesome baby shower for his mommy
B. get the baby lots of adorable onesies, bibs, and blankies from Etsy
C. don't freak out when they let you hold him and then sneak up with a bottle for you to feed him too
D. plan in advance your purchases of parent-annoying toys for future birthdays

And there you have it - an easy guide to becoming any child's Cool Aunt!! And because I have to brag: