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2nd Child Syndrome


I have always been told that attitudes change and parenting styles change when you have your second child. I have never considered myself to be an uptight parent. When I had Diva I thought I was pretty laid back. Looking back now that impression is wrong.
Looking at my current situation I realize that what I was told about the "second child" really is true. Some examples:
When Diva was a baby if she had drool, spit up, dirt of any kind on her clothes I changed her.
Now...Shrek and Donkey have to be looking pretty bad to get their clothes changed. Or have poo on them. My first thought is I don't want the extra laundry. Good enough and not pristine is okay with me. 
When Diva was a baby her eating times were very scheduled and I was very particular about what I would let her eat. I followed all the guidelines about when she could have milk, nuts, honey, etc.
Now...I'm pretty sure the Dudes had peanut butter somewhere around 8 months. I take the "if they can gum it they can eat it" approach. 
When Diva was a baby I only let her eat puffs or plain Cheerios. And she always had to eat in her  highchair.
Now...the Dudes had a cereal mix of Fruit Loops and Peanut Butter cereal in their snack cups this afternoon. I figure if it makes them happy and makes the crying stop. I'm game. And, snack cups are great. If they want to sit in the floor and eat their snack go for it. The dogs will clean up the big pieces. 
Also~ Diva was nearly 2 before I ever let her have juice.
Shrek and Donkey had juice before their first birthday. It's not a regular thing, but they do get juice. 
When Diva was a baby I was militant about changing her diaper. And I always used wipes and and wiped her thoroughly. I clearly remember one time my MIL changed Diva's wet diaper and did not use a wipe. I was horrified.
Now...If it's just wet I don't use a wipe about half the time. And, I have been known to let them wear the same diaper, knowing it was wet, for a while before I change it. Don't judge me. It's a lot of work to change their diaper. 
If I sat here long enough and thought about it I could probably come up with an impressive list. One thing this shows me though is that I can relax a little and my kids are still going to be happy and thriving children. There have been no ill effects from letting them eat Fruit Loops or not always using a wipe when I change their diaper.

Comments

  1. haha! this totally made me laugh, and I can already identify, even though our 2nd isn't here yet. :) Such a cute picture!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks! Sometimes all you can do is laugh :) I've really let a lot of things slide with the babies.

    ReplyDelete

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