Think the differences in children make things interesting.

I was answering a group forum post from a mom group I am part of for highly gifted children and found myself really thinking about my children and their diifferences. One of the moms was having issues with her child and bedtime. So many of the answers were cut and dry. 8:00 p.m., lights out, no exceptions.

For me, it isn't that simple. I mean, I can try, but the same bedtime simply doesn't work for every child. No more than you could expect to discipline children with such drastically different personalities the same and get the end result you were hoping for. My daughter Kenna for example, is almost 18 years old. She will be a senior this year in high school (man does that make me feel old). She is, and always has been, an early to bed, early to rise person. She is in bed almost every night, and sleeping I might add, by 9:00 p.m. My sons, well, we try to get them in bed every night no later than 8:30 p.m. However, Kooper who is 10, that works o.k. for, he does require quite a bit a sleep to function well, and he for the most part is another "morning" person like Kenna. Kamden, 7, is a whole other story. He requires very little sleep. He is also cursed with the "night owl" syndrome. Have to say, he gets that honest. He is just like his mommy, ADHD, doesn't sleep, doesn't like to sit still, insomniac, night terrors, DRAMATIC, silly. You name it...we are two peas from the same pod.

I was so entertained this evening watching Kooper and my husband watch television together. They are so similar it is scary. They were watching, some inappropriate content for Kooper, RAMBO, but I let that slide. Both of them were laughing and in awe of the bodies flying this way and that way. I snickered to myself hearing the two of them and their gutteral laughs and "oh yeahs" in all the most gruesome parts. Then they changed the channel and to watch a recorded episode of Chop Shop. They watched while Kamden and Michael were engrossed in an on-line game on the computer. Neither Kamden, nor Michael was interested in the movie, or the car show. Nope. They are nothing like daddy that way. Just Koop. Funny how that works.

I love the personalities of the little people in my house. Kooper is fun loving, caring and compassionate just like his dad. Kenna is a teenager, and well, that's probably enough said. But, she is smart and witty, and we will love her personality again in a few years! :) Michael is a tough one. He is so hard on himself. Sometimes he forgets to have fun and be a kid, but that makes him who he is and we love him just the same. Kamden is a pickle. You never know what is going to come out of his mouth. He marches to the beat of his own drummer and it's typically a tune noone else has ever heard. Makes for a crazy life and there aren't too many dull moments in The Romano home.