I swore I would never be that stereotypical mom that drastically changed my priorities with each subsequent child. But, alas, here I am, three kids in, and I have managed to nail that stereotype to a tee.
Here are some differences I have experienced in parenting my first versus parenting my third.
- Sugar-free zone. Y’all, my first baby ate ONLY vegetables until he was one. In lieu of a birthday cake on his birthday, I gave him a BANANA–his first fruit. Third baby? I’ll be lucky to keep her older brothers from feeding her brownies.
- Germs. Every person that came over was essentially doused in hand sanitizer with my first child. But now? I might have handed my crying third baby to a complete stranger on the airplane that offered to hold her for me.
- Scheduling. The beloved first child’s schedule trumped all other activities. We rushed home from lunches with friends to make the sacred naptime. Dinner dates were cut short to start our nightly routine. Third baby? In a pinch, car seat naps and sleeping in the Ergo seem to suit her JUST FINE.
- Bathing. My first child was squeaky clean. He was bathed AT LEAST every other day. My daughter? I aim to bathe her weekly and would admittedly bathe her less often if she didn’t have such long hair that displays my lack of due diligence in the bathing area.
- Psychosis. I am legitimately a lot less stressed with this third baby. If she only sleeps 20 minutes, I am not lamenting to everyone I see. It will be okay. Each phase will pass. If she needs to cuddle, cuddle we shall. The dishes will eventually be cleaned again to be dirtied again and laundry will be folded. I am a lot less stressed with this third baby and a lot more engaged. Not all parental changes with subsequent children are entirely detrimental. The perspective of time and how quickly it passes has served me well with baby number three.
Kara Garis is a cloth diapering, baby wearing, semi-crunchy mama to two active boys and a baby girl. She lives with her husband in Oklahoma and loves running, cooking, traveling, reading and teaching herself how to braid. She blogs very infrequently at karagaris.blogspot.com.
