Parents.. with different treatment

The mistake..

It was a quiet afternoon at home, and Valerie had set up a small learning corner for Xander in the living room. She had been working with him on counting and his ABCs, simple lessons to keep his mind engaged now that he was getting older. Xander, who had always been curious and full of energy, seemed eager at first, clutching his colorful alphabet blocks with excitement.

"Can you say 'A'? Like 'apple'?" Valerie encouraged, pointing to the block with a bright red "A" on it.

Xander frowned, his little brow furrowing as he struggled to repeat the letter. "Ah... ap."

"That's right, almost!" Valerie said, smiling softly. "Try again. 'A'."

But Xander wasn't in the mood for patience today. His excitement quickly turned into frustration. The more Valerie tried to help him, the more his frustration built. He struggled to understand why it wasn't as easy as it seemed.

In the background, baby Xavier sat quietly in his bouncer, cooing softly as he played with a soft toy. His presence wasn't a distraction to Valerie, but for Xander, the tension between learning and the attention on his younger brother had been simmering for weeks.

"Xander, let's try counting, okay?" Valerie suggested, sensing that he needed a break from the letters. She handed him a set of small toys, hoping the shift would calm him. "Let's count these. One, two—"

"No!" Xander yelled, tossing the toys aside. His face flushed with frustration, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Valerie reached out, her voice gentle. "It's okay, sweetheart. We'll take a break. You're doing great."

But Xander wasn't listening. In a burst of anger, he grabbed a wooden block from the floor and hurled it across the room. Time seemed to slow as the block flew through the air, heading toward Xavier's bouncer. The block missed by inches, but the loud crash as it hit the floor startled Xavier, who burst into tears, his tiny face scrunching up as he wailed.

Valerie's heart jumped, and before she could react, Colby, who had been sitting nearby working on his laptop, leapt up. His face was clouded with anger and alarm as he rushed over, instinctively shoving Xander back, away from Xavier. The force wasn't harsh, but it was enough to send Xander stumbling backward, wide-eyed and shocked.

"Xander! What are you doing?" Colby shouted, his voice sharp, as he bent down to comfort Xavier, who was still crying from the noise.

Xander stood frozen, his small chest heaving as he looked from Colby to Valerie. His lip quivered, his big brown eyes filling with tears. He didn't understand why his frustration had led to this sudden outburst from his father. Valerie, torn between comforting Xavier and helping Xander, felt a surge of sadness. Xander was still so little, still learning to manage his emotions, and while his behavior was unacceptable, she knew that pushing him away wasn't the answer.

"Colby, stop!" Valerie said, moving quickly to Xander's side, kneeling down beside him. She placed a hand on his shoulder, her voice soft but firm. "It's okay, Xander, it's okay. Let's take a deep breath."

Xander sobbed harder, his little body shaking as the emotions overwhelmed him. He buried his face in Valerie's chest, seeking comfort. Valerie held him close, rubbing his back gently. She could feel the weight of his frustration, confusion, and now the fear of being reprimanded.

Colby, realizing the intensity of his reaction, stood there holding Xavier, who was still whimpering softly. His face softened as he looked at Xander, guilt creeping in. "I didn't mean to push him like that," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "I just... I saw the block, and I..."

Valerie glanced up at him, her eyes full of understanding but also a silent reminder that Xander needed something different in this moment. "He's just frustrated, Colby. He didn't mean to throw it. He's still learning how to handle big feelings."

Colby sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. He knelt down, balancing Xavier in his arms, and gently reached out to Xander, who peeked out from Valerie's embrace.

"Hey, buddy," Colby said softly. "I'm sorry I pushed you. I was just scared that your brother might get hurt."

Xander sniffled, still clinging to Valerie but looking at Colby with tearful eyes. "I didn't... I didn't mean to," he mumbled between sobs.

"I know, bud. I know you didn't," Colby said, his voice gentle now. "But you can't throw things when you're upset. That can hurt people, even if you don't mean for it to."

Valerie, still holding Xander, wiped the tears from his cheeks. "It's okay to be upset, Xander. Learning can be hard, and it's okay to feel frustrated. But when we're mad, we have to find ways to calm down. Can we try that next time?"

Xander nodded slowly, still sniffling but calming down as he listened to his parents. He looked over at Xavier, who had settled down in Colby's arms, his wide eyes watching the scene unfold. "Is baby okay?" Xander asked, his voice small and worried.

Valerie smiled softly, brushing his hair out of his face. "Yes, sweetheart, Xavier's okay. You didn't hurt him. But you scared him a little."

Colby leaned in, giving Xander a small smile. "How about we say sorry to your brother for scaring him?"

Xander hesitated for a moment, then shuffled closer to Xavier, who was now calm and blinking up at his big brother with curiosity. Xander reached out, his small hand gently touching Xavier's leg. "Sorry, baby," he whispered.

Valerie's heart swelled as she watched the moment between her sons, knowing that this was just one of many challenges they'd face as a family. Parenting wasn't perfect, and sometimes the frustration and chaos of daily life got the better of them all. But in these moments, when they came together, she felt reassured that they were learning and growing, just like Xander was.

Afterward, Colby and Valerie sat down with Xander, explaining in simple terms that it was okay to feel frustrated and that they were always there to help him when things got tough. They talked about ways he could calm down, like taking deep breaths or asking for a hug.

As the evening wore on, the tension faded, and Xander seemed lighter, more at ease. He curled up next to Valerie on the couch while Colby gently rocked Xavier to sleep.

Valerie glanced over at Colby, who met her gaze with a look that said he understood. They were in this together, navigating the ups and downs of raising two small boys. There would be more difficult moments, more outbursts, but there would also be more moments of growth, understanding, and love.

And as she held Xander close, she knew that was what mattered most.