What to expect with your second child
Having children is exciting. It is also probably the most rewarding, life fulfilling and wonderful thing to go through as an individual and as a family unit. Yet the arrival of a baby, or two, is also one of the biggest challenging things to take on as a person. If you have already had your first child, you may think you have everything down to a tee and there is nothing new that will surprise you. People also make assumptions that there are not a lot of extra jobs that need to be done around the house. Unfortunately, studies that have been taken from different demographic sources that suggest, with the new arrival of a second child, parents stress levels increase and develop signs of mental health deterioration. Here you can find a list of handy bits of information to help any parent ease into the transition with the new arrival of a baby.
It Could Be A Lot Easier
Being prepared for your second child may benefit in the long run and can take umpteen amounts of stress off of you and your partner. Learning ways to cook efficiently is also a handy trick to help a smooth transition. Top up on supplies and shop around for deals on nappies and wipes. You may have found that after your first pregnancy, you may have read every baby book you could find, every baby blog and lined up nice bookmarks for future references. So when you think you’ve got everything figured out from your first baby and number two comes along, “parent initiative” aka “half-winging it”, takes over.
Have More Patience
I know it sounds cliche but having your first child is not going to be the same as having your second. With having a newborn and another infant toddler running around the house, things get a whole lot more interesting. 2 children can cause you to lose patience, usually on mornings when parents run around at breakfast. You also may find yourself raising your voice more often at your kids or getting frustrated. This is normal family behavior and it does happen to the majority of families. Sometimes it’s great to take some time to call up grandma and grandpa to come round for a little bit. Remember, if you need a break, It is always OK to ask for help if you need to regroup your inner self.
Get Use An Untidy Home
I don’t mean you should start bringing your outside bins indoors and leave hoovering once a month. But generally, with your elder child running about, the chances are that the youngest will not be in a routine for a while so you will be having to work around this. If you are exhausted while you are trying to give equal attention to both little ones, you may find that your house will not get as much care and attention as you used to give it. This is okay. Tidy up as an when you can but don’t worry too much about this too much. Looking after two young children is a lot of work even if the newborn spends most of their baby time sleeping. This is when mothers to newborns should take advantage of little cat naps especially if your elder infant has started nursery or little school.
Ditch The Constant Updates Of Your Babies Progress
Every parent has the best interest in recording each memorable moment from their children. More than often, parents confess that it just never happens as inclusive as they thought. Take pictures and mementos and take some time to arrange them over a period of time so don’t hang your head in shame and guilt, and embrace the fact that parenting isn’t about articulately documenting every moment of your child’s upbringing so perfectly.
Two Babies, Two Lots Of Work
This one is plain and simple, just one child is work. When you add another, your work-load does indeed double. One important thing to be aware of is the developmental age difference. For example, you might be at one time potty training your toddler and then at the same time, trying to nurse your newborn. Or there might be times where you or your partner is shuffling the eldest child off to school and your newborn start screaming because they want to be changed. Whether it’s one or another, one always needs something, and often they may need two different things at the same exact time. Some families will be preparing 2 or even three different types of meals. It certainly is a lot of work, double the work in fact and of course, it is not without saying that it comes with incredible and loving rewards.
More Quality Time For Yourself and With Your Partner
When the family has a new addition and you have only just got back into a routine with home life and work, time starts to dwindle. The quality time you spend with your other half may result in the 10 minutes in the evening when your both struggling to stay awake. Through the day time, you both will have two children jostle for every ounce of energy you both have. Without saying too much, It’s still important to invest more effort in spending time with the other person in your relationship. So why not make time for each other for that evening meal, or time spent when the kids are behaving at nan and grandad’s place on date night.
Having two children can also mean goodbye to ‘working out’ and ‘keeping fit’. Or does it? Canceling your Gym membership might still be a viable option for you to do, but for brushing the cobwebs off and stretching the lungs is a lot easier this day and age with the advances in baby carriers and strollers. Look at this list to get an idea of Sporty Strollers for two children that are built for parents who want to take children out on active walks.
Siblings can love each other fiercely and it’s a beautiful thing
Having children rather close together can be a beautiful experience for siblings. It is common for many parents to be worried about the heavy-handed movements and flying objects in the home from their eldest. This is normal, just like making words like ‘Softly’ and ‘Gentle’ or ‘Be Careful’ will be used over and over again. Children often develop a sense of sibling relations early on and within no time, the bond will be nearly unbreakable and life lasting.
Do you have any other advice for having a second child? Leave a note in the comments and let us know!
