We just finished the third chapter in the second book in the series, which is about when Junie B’s parents have a second child. Junie B does not take kindly to the matter, and Namine impressed me with a deeper level of insight than I thought possible coming from a five year old.
So after we finished our reading last night, I asked Namine if she thought Junie B was being nice to her parents.
“No,” she said. “She’s being mean. Because she’s mad.”
“Why do you suppose that is?”
“She thinks her mommy and daddy will love the baby but not her.”
Wow. Now, as an adult, I know that this is a common fear in young children about to become an older sibling. But I would not have expected Namine to understand it, or to have articulated it so well.
Namine knows Jessica and I want to have another child. I wondered if she thought the same thing of us – that if we had a second child, she would get ignored. So I asked her if she wanted a baby brother or sister.
She nodded. “Oh, yes.” She spread her arms. “I would just love a baby sister.”
“You could have a baby brother, you know. Is that okay?”
“Yeah, but I think Jesus will give me a baby sister.”
“Okay,” I conceded. I know better than to argue with a girl, and I wasn’t going to gain any ground with this one. “Namine,” I said, “do you think Mommy and I would ignore you if you had a baby brother or sister?”
“No, Daddy,” she said. “I know you and Mommy will always love me and my baby sister.” She smiled at me. “I’m your little love, silly!”
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