It is said that when you have your second baby, you tend to be more relaxed because the big job of getting to grips with parenthood has essentially been dealt with the first time around.
You aren’t as anxious that you’re going to make a haims of the situation, you don’t have all that adjustment-to-parenthood bit to deal with, and you are a complete expert in the handling of all baby-related paraphernalia.
When my second child came along, I was quite amazed at how chilled I was. I mean, adding a second kid to the family dynamic was tricky in lots of ways – like, I still have no advice on how to stop a toddler from whacking the door to the baby room open when you just have her settled, and roaring like a dinosaur on purpose. But other things were very relaxed.. maybe too relaxed, actually.
1. With Baby One, you will only dab their precious chin with highly expensive muslin cloths bought in packets of three for ten euro and more.
Baby Two’s dribbles will get wiped with a sleeve, the back of your hand, and/or whatever worn t-shirt from the floor that happens to be in the vicinity.
2. Baby One’s car seat, highchair, play mats and bouncers get washed almost nightly, with fear that they will pick up germs from the crumb of a baby biscuit that fell there seven hours ago.
All of these items get now get put into the garden and collectively power hosed once a month with Baby Two.
3. Pots and pots of sweet potato, avocado and broccoli are steamed, pureed and divided into multi-coloured plastic pots for the freezer with Baby One. Baby Two will have ‘a bit of what we’re having, sure I’ll chuck it in the Nutri-bullet and it’ll be lovely’.
Baby Two will have ‘a bit of what we’re having, sure I’ll chuck it in the Nutri-bullet and it’ll be lovely’.
4. Bathtime consists of determinedly pointing at animals and numbers in waterproof baby books with Baby One, and repeating ‘Pig; oink oink. Cow; moo moo. Sheep; baa baa’ – you know, in case you’re not stimulating them enough and it’s your fault that their speech ends up delayed. Baby Two gets put into the bath with their older sibling and.. washed.
Baby Two gets put into the bath with their older sibling and.. washed.
5. Countless hours and euro will be spent ‘socialising’ Baby One. We are terrified that if they don’t hang out with other kids that they will become introverted, unable to make friends as they grow up and/or a serial killer. We take them to play dates, creches, playdates, play centres, the playground, baby classes, you name it. Baby Two has Baby One for
Baby Two has Baby One for company. She’ll be grand ;o)
Have you any more to add to this list? Tell us in the comments below.
