This strange phenomenon can happen to anyone with multiple children.
Have you ever experienced the miracle of ‘One Less’?
I cleaned the kitchen after dinner while the girls showered.
The toddler played quietly on the living room.
I vacuumed and put the dishwasher on.
The girls watched an episode of Horrible Histories and the toddler lined up the Barbies to his satisfaction.
No one yelled, or screeched, or argued, or hurt themselves.
It was peaceful.
The miracle of One Less had occurred.
When one child is not home, for whatever reason, that is when the miracle happens.
Just one less child and the whole world changes.
It’s not because the child who isn’t here is particularly horrible, or annoying.
It doesn’t matter which one (in this case it was the middle child who had taken Dad to Kinder for the evening), any one less will do.
And it doesn’t matter how many you had in the first place, or how many you are left with. The miracle of One Less occurred even when we had only three kids.
It is unexplained, and peaceful, and it doesn’t last.
Ahhhhh…..The miracle of One Less.
Does this happen in your house?
I love the miracle of one less. We experience it one evening a week when Husband takes Annie to taekwondo.
There is also the miracle of two extra, where both the girls have a friend over and they play happily, albeit noisily.
This a true phenomenon! CrashBoy is usually pretty delightful when it’s just the two of us.
I can so relate! Jacinta
Ahhh it has a name!!!! I’d been marveling at this recently, I thought it was just the dynamic between the older 2 that ceases to exist when one is absent. But no, of course, it’s the Miracle of One Less!
Your post made me smile as this is SO TRUE! I have three boys and the youngest decided naps werent necessary for a few days (despite only being 11mths!), he’s now realised that perhaps naps are a good thing and to have an hour or two of one less makes a huge difference to my day. Cheers!
I believe in this too. It’s a dynamic change that seems to reinvigorate relationships. Good name for it!
Truest post ever.
We’re one less at the moment as my big boy is having a sleepover at his mate’s place. Quiet. Oh so quiet.
Cosigned x eleventy million :-) I get the Miracle of One Less every Tuesday night when hubs takes the eldest to guitar and it’s soooo niiiiiiice – and was equally great when I had eldest home sick and youngest here, but middle at school then a playdate.
Oh, I am looking forward to one less as the week ends – big boy is off on his first school camp!
So true today! My twins woke up grumpy today and as they don’t have a day sleep anymore, it looked like it was going to be a veryyyy long day! By lunch time, one of the girls was so foul, I told her to go have a lie down on her bed, which resulted in a 2 and a half hour nap! The whole dynamic of the house changed. My other girl and I did puzzles together, played in the garden, had lunch together and chatted and enjoyed a sneaky piece of chocolate before her sister woke up. We are all pretty refreshed and much happier now!
Interesting. I only have 1 so when she’s out of the house it really is extra peaceful. :)
Hehehe this is very funny! I always notice the difference when a couple of kids in my class are away too! :-)