| By Megan Heuer – Good Night Consultant |
| Most people warned me how difficult it was going to be, adjusting from one child to two and how they wished they had known how challenging the change would be (And then feel compelled to share this information with me so that I would be prepared!). I am not sure what people’s intentions are to warn you about the “perils of two children” because it’s clear that they’ve survived and they profess love for both their kids. I’m pretty sure they would not change it for the world! Be that as it is, parents of two children definitely want to warn everyone else who is pregnant with their second (It’s a little too late at this point!) about how hard having two kids is and how hard the jump from one to two is. One child gets sick and can infect their sibling, or one wakes at night and can wake the second child, or one child is always demanding your attention and you are always sharing; your time, love, attention and presence. But what no one told me, was the joy it would be to have two children! To watch the relationship between my daughter and her baby brother flourish is priceless. Witnessing certain characteristics in my daughter coming alive and watching her nurture her baby brother is heart-warming. Seeing the older child willing learn to share, even though he is too little to ask, demand or notice her sharing, makes my heart burst with pride. It’s beautiful to watch the love of the older sibling who wants to share her most loved and prized possessions with her new baby brother – and let’s face it, the baby’s done nothing but demand mom’s time, attention and love! Having a second child in our home has added a little extra of something we did not even know was missing (as we never had it before) and it is so needed. Our second child has added and contributed to the three of us growing and learning. Yes, some days are indeed tough and sometimes it’s not always easy; the older child cannot be held while mom is feeding the baby, and attention is divided. Yes, finding our rhythm as a family of 4 has taken some time (longer than I anticipated) and the juggle is real! But the joy has far out-weighed how difficult it is. When someone warns you how hard having more than one child is, nod, acknowledge that what they are saying has truth to it, but walk away with the hope that there is double the amount of joy and love added to your home! #sleeptraining |