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“Does Parenting Get Easier Or Harder With Each Child?” is a guest post by Kell at All Mum Said.
Couples often struggle to decide when or if they should have more children. Concerns about their ability to handle additional kids and how the existing child will take to the news of a sibling makes this discussion difficult.
Unfortunately asking if parenting gets easier with each child is like asking “How long is a piece of string?”. There is no definitive answer one way or another as each family and child is very different. There are however a few things you should consider before making your decision one way or another. Hopefully if you are struggling to decide what you and your partner should do, this will help.
The age gap between your children can make a huge difference in not only how your existing child will adapt to a new baby but also how you will cope. For example, being pregnant with a toddler can be tough, you are exhausted and suffer from all day sickness but you are a mum and your child wants to play and go to the park.
This is not to say that having a toddler and new baby is a bad idea, I had my second child almost two years exactly after my first was born and then again between third and fourth baby. I wouldn’t have had it any other way but I can also say that the four year age gap between my second and third children was great as well, just for different reasons.
It is important to remember that just because your first child was a saint and slept through every night since he was born, your second child might not. When you have spent the night awake trying to settle a very fussy newborn and then have to function the next day with a hyperactive toddler that just wants to play, it can be tough. You need to be prepared for the ‘what-if’. You hear the experts say all the time to sleep when baby sleeps. When you have a toddler and a newborn the saying should be ‘sleep when toddler sleeps’!
On the other hand, you could have two perfect sleepers that are easy-going and just go with the flow. This makes the introduction to parenting for two or more children so much easier.
Becoming an older sibling is a great learning opportunity for them. By allowing them to ‘help’ and including them in new baby tasks, they will feel important. They will embrace being the best helper they can be. This will also take a little pressure off you and your partner. There is no jealousy and only love. Small tasks like getting the baby wipes, a nappy or even wiping bub with the washer in the bath will make a huge difference in the welcoming of additional babies.
Along with this independence also comes the desire to show you they are big kids. They can do big kid stuff like use the toilet. While it may seem like a bad time to start this journey, if they are initiating toilet training than take advantage of it!
Becoming a family of four, five or in my case six, can have its struggles. In my experience I have found that the more children there are, the more love that fills our home.
When did you know it was time to have another child?
About Kell
Kell can be found over at All Mum Said delivering an honest account of life as a time-poor mum, hilarious parenting fails and everything else that motherhood entails. The mama bear in her looks after her readers by ensuring there is fresh and exciting content and a great range of reviews and giveaways for her fans.
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