Written by Eugene Lee; Edited by Katie Hackett
Five-year-old Mickael used to tell his mom and dad that he wanted brothers and sisters, so his parents thought they were more than satisfying his request when they received the news that they would be having twins.
However, the whole family was in for an even bigger surprise. One week before the babies were due, they discovered there was a third baby girl who’d been hidden during previous ultrasounds.
It may sound counterintuitive, but Hovsep and Satenik were better prepared for this surprise than they had been five years before when they first welcomed Mickael into the world.
Hovsep, Mickael’s dad, was absent during the early years of the little boy’s life.
"Because I [had] worked two years in Russia, I must say at that time I felt that wall that was between us," Hovsep explains.
Hovsep and Satenik were enrolled in a parenting program for young children, where they learned the important connections between Mickael’s health, nutrition and development. In addition to nutrition training, they learned about the value of play time and how to really listen to their son.
"Now we are paying attention to his opinion, like a separate person," says Satenik. Traditionally in Armenia, children aren't encouraged to express themselves.
Going from a family of three to a family of six will definitely present its challenges, but with the knowledge they’ve gained, Hovsep and Satenik are now more equipped to face those challenges as they raise their four children together.
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