Shop smart baby. Raising the age: games for two small children
Raising children is a complex and extremely responsible process that requires parents to invest maximum effort, patience and love. In a family where there is children of the same age, parents have to give all of the above to their children in double volume and at an increased speed. Some people claim that it is easier than the weather. Is this statement true and how to properly raise children?
How to raise children of the same age
The tips below will help the mother keep up raise children of the same age without harm to yourself and other family members. Main principle Raising children of the same age is an equal distribution of everything that parents give to their children. None of the children should be left deprived of attention, love, care, or material values. The first thing you need to pay attention to when organizing the life of children of the same age is a properly structured daily routine. It should be perfect for both children. In this case, the children will feel comfortable in the same home. For example, if one baby is sleeping, another who is awake may disturb the sleeping brother or sister. If one child is bathing in the bath, the second one should be supervised by a family member at this time. A properly organized daily routine will help you avoid difficulties and save time. While the children are sleeping, you can relax or do business. It is advisable that the same age eat at approximately the same time and walk together.
Weather in kindergarten
Kindergarten can be a solution to some of the problems parents have. If the older child goes to kindergarten, it will be easier for the mother to keep up with housework and raise younger baby. But kindergarten has its own difficulties. For example, it will take some time for a child to get used to kindergarten. In addition, children who started going to kindergarten get sick more often than those who sit at home. Considering that colds can be transmitted to a baby who remains at home with his mother; the mother will need to be extremely attentive and careful after the child starts attending kindergarten. You should not send your child to kindergarten until he is 2 years old. To two years of age babies are highly dependent on their mother.
Children of the same age you need to buy the same toys if they are of the same gender. This will help avoid conflicts and disagreements between brothers and sisters. Experts recommend buying toys that have many parts so that children can assemble, construct, and become even closer together during play. It has been noticed that the connection between the same age is stronger than between brothers and sisters who have an age difference of several years. In order for this connection to grow stronger every year, you should not interfere with children’s communication and their friendship. Children of the same age have many common interests and entertainment.
Over time, the older child can become an assistant in raising the younger one. If the older baby has a desire to feed younger brother or sister, play with him, you shouldn’t refuse him. In this case, the mother is recommended to help the older child communicate correctly with the younger one, teach him to feed the baby from a bottle, and play with him. After all, this is how friendship is born between children of the same age.
If parents ignore the tips and recommendations described above, the older child may begin to be jealous of the mother of the younger brother or sister and deliberately spoil things that belong to the baby. He may also become restless and irritable. In no case should you deprive your older child of attention because there is a baby in the house. These tips will help mothers raise happy and contented children of the same age.
Instructions
In education, one of the main and necessary points is to bring the children's regime to uniformity. Try to create a daily routine that is comfortable for everyone. If your older child wants to play, don’t constantly snort at him. Try putting your youngest to bed in the kitchen or another room.
Prepare your baby for a brother or sister both physically (teach him to sleep separately, do without), and psychologically. Often, children who are already completely independent when a fourth family member appears, “fall into.” They behave as they do, demanding a lot of attention.
Do not reproach the child, just calmly explain that he has already outgrown this age. When asking to bring or serve something, use the pronoun “me” and not “him” (brother or sister).
When raising children of the same age, especially at first, it is simply necessary outside help. But you should not completely leave your firstborn in the care of nannies or grandmothers. Try to give him attention and love. Let dad and grandmothers also help in raising the youngest child. At this time, you will turn your attention to the elder.
It is very difficult to keep track of both children while walking. Therefore, by the time the baby is born, try to teach your older one to walk without a stroller. In addition, a two-year-old child is very active and is subject to more careful control. You need to be on the safe side in time and catch the tomboy running into the wrong place. This is quite difficult to do when you also need to look after the stroller. To solve this problem, you can purchase a sling for the younger one.
Winter walks bring special trouble. To prevent one child, whom you have already dressed, from standing and steaming in a fur coat, teach the older one to deal with buttons and shoes on his own. Moreover, at this age, children develop the habit of “me myself.” It would be nice to buy him boots with Velcro and clothes with snaps.
When the children grow up, do not perceive the older child as an adult, because he is still small. Do not place increased demands on him, do not develop in him a sense of unhealthy competition or jealousy. Buy toys, books, clothes at the same time.
Do not isolate your older child from your younger one. Let him help you look after him or play with your little one. Tell and explain more to your child. You shouldn’t throw away the rituals that are familiar to you two. If before the birth of your second baby, when you put your firstborn to bed, you lay down next to him and read bedtime stories, continue this. Try to structure your day so that at this time the younger one does not require your attention.
Usually, parents of the same age have no problems choosing a school or kindergarten. Send your children to one educational institution, there they both will need each other's support. As for organizing leisure time, it is better to take into account the individual wishes of everyone.
After two years, raising children the same age becomes much easier and simpler than children with a larger age difference. They organize each other well, they are much more interesting together. The older child will feel like a real assistant in raising his younger brother or sister. This sense of responsibility for one’s neighbor will only benefit him in the future.
Video on the topic
As you can see, raising children of the same age is not as scary as it seems at first glance. These are the two happinesses that want love and attention from you more than anything in the world. Therefore, look at life more optimistically and give them what every child deserves.
Tip 2: Children of the same age: how to prepare for the birth of a second child
More and more modern mothers are deciding to give birth to a second baby without leaving maternity leave for their first child. Some people get pregnant by accident, while others purposefully want children with a small age difference. Maternity capital also encourages many to take such a step. Although the young mother has not yet had time to forget all the nuances associated with the appearance of a little person in the family, she needs to prepare and take into account some new points
Where to sleep?
This question comes up first. The second child's sleeping place must be protected from the older one. After all, he may, through carelessness or jealousy, offend the baby. The stability of the crib is an important characteristic in such a situation. If its design has wheels, then the function of fixing them is mandatory. Otherwise, the first child will simply roll the bed all over the room.
It is better to place a crib or cradle in the room in advance so that the older child has time to play with it and get used to it. Then, with the birth of a brother or sister, it is less likely that his crib will arouse great interest in the first child.
Where to leave an awake baby?
The mother of two small children constantly needs free hands. When the baby is alone, it is possible to hold him in your arms for a long time. But with two children this is already difficult; both need attention. For example, the older one needs to be fed, but the younger one doesn’t sleep and is capricious, so you need to take him with you to the kitchen.
The mother must provide places where she will leave the baby. It is convenient to use a sun lounger. The baby is fastened in it, cannot fall out, and will rock himself to sleep from his own movements. A car seat with a flat bottom is also suitable for such purposes.
As a last resort, you can use a carrier for the first time. But the baby moves freely in it and can drop it from the chair. So this is only a temporary measure.
Manege
Also not superfluous furniture in the nursery - a playpen. From the moment the baby begins to roll over and crawl, it is very convenient to leave it in it. The walls of the playpen will not allow the baby to roll into a dangerous place, and will also protect it from the older child. After all, if a baby is simply placed on the floor, his brother or sister may step on him.
Ergo backpack or sling
When mom gets ready to go somewhere with both of them, she desperately needs free hands. Sooner or later you will have to go to the clinic or to the store with both children. In this case, you should get a sling or ergo-backpack. This way, the mother will be able to calmly lead the older one by the hand or dress him while the younger one is sleeping peacefully or looking around in a safe place - on her body.
Stroller
As soon as a woman finds out that she is pregnant with her second child, it is better for her to start weaning her first child from the stroller. The sooner he gets used to walking on his own feet, the better. If he rides in a stroller until the birth of his second baby, this will become a big problem later. Mom simply won’t be able to walk with both children.
These are the most important points that will have to be taken into account when a second child appears in a family with a slight difference from the first. Other problems can be resolved as both children grow older.
Some parents, of course, plan for children the same age, but more often than not, this comes as a surprise.
And what awaits you if you decide to give birth to a second child immediately after the first?! Looking ahead, this is the surest option for everyone who considers themselves a good, full-fledged family.
First of all, the question arises: “Can you cope or not?” You can handle it! You already know everything, you can do everything. You will no longer call an ambulance in a panic if your baby cannot poop, you will go and, with full confidence in the correctness of your actions, give him an enema. Or a gas outlet tube! Your first aid kit has everything you need.
It will be a little problematic to walk or go to the clinic. One is running around, the other is still in a stroller. It's hard. It is difficult, being pregnant, with a huge belly, to put an older child to sleep in her arms. It's hard when you're sick. As a rule, if one gets sick, the other one follows, and mom goes there too!
Jealousy among older children is not always as described. Most often it is not there at all. With a small difference, they understand little. It will be interesting and educational for them. Naturally, you need to pay enough attention to both. And in the future, they will become best friends, will support each other and help. The younger one will grow up rapidly and begin to repeat everything after the older one. The issues of the potty, pacifiers and first steps will be resolved in one or two.
Financial question. There is always little money, there is always not enough money. And with the advent of the second baby, nothing will fundamentally change. Except that you will give life to one more person. If the children are same-sex, then you already have all the clothes! And you don't need to buy anything. If there are kids, then it’s okay too, a lot will be done in time, despite color scheme. You also won’t need to buy strollers, cribs, swings, sleds and bottles. So, in terms of finances, you will save more than you spend.
So, children of the same age are doubly joyful! These are two hearts that beat together with your hearts. These are two pairs of hands that hold you tightly and don’t let go. These are two smiles, this is a joyful laugh, this is everything that anyone can only dream of. good mom and dad.
The cornerstone from which the joint education of children begins is the moment when youngest child begins to walk independently. If until this moment all games for children of the same age were limited to the manipulations of the elder with the younger, then from this moment you can begin to involve children in joint activities and teach them to play with each other.
Simple and interesting, games for two small children can quite effectively boost the development of both kids. After all, two children initially grow up in a competitive environment, which serves as a springboard for the ambitions of the older child and a motivational factor for the development of the second child. That is why it is worth paying your close attention to creativity and games for two children.
Games for the weather - how to organize the gameplay
Raising children is a rather specific process, and one of its nuances is playing together. No matter how your kids’ relationship develops, you should always remember that children of the same age are an ideal play couple. As soon as the youngest of the children begins to move at least on all fours, your two-year-olds immediately begin to have exciting activities - they can crawl after each other or look at pictures and toys together. Children will come up with some entertainment themselves, and some ideas can be suggested to children by their parents. Literally three to four months will pass, and you can offer them other games for two children at home and outside. But for your kids to play successfully, it’s worth knowing some facts.
- Kids, regardless of the difference in age, and even more so the weather, find great common language and play great together. One of the children sits, the other lies, one crawls, and the other runs away from the first.
- Children of the same age have quite a lot of common interests, this helps them get closer, especially if parents help children find common ground. Kids have a lot in common - interests, toys, parents, this is your chance to instill in children love and interest in each other.
- Younger children always reach out to their firstborn, trying to imitate him in everything, and as a result they develop faster.
- You should not pull children away from each other, asking them to each do their own thing in different corners. You should not point out that these toys belong to the elder, or scold the first-born for interfering with the baby’s games. Let the children get used to playing together and spending as much time as possible playing with each other - this will be to their benefit and will free up your hands.
- If just at the time of the birth of your second child, your firstborn began to actively explore the surrounding space, make your home as safe as possible. Remove everything unnecessary from the shelves, screw cabinets and chests of drawers to the walls, put all kinds of child protection on windows, sockets, doors and corners. This will make it much easier for you to take care of your baby, without fear of being distracted even for a minute from your older child.
- If you cannot decide how to organize classes with each of the children, then make it simpler: do it all together. Information for the baby is a repetition of the material covered for the older child, and new knowledge for the first-born will be picked up on the fly by the younger child.
- The same-sex ones are very prone to competition. Try to build all games on the basis of cooperation, when the kids need to reach some goal together. But in games of a competitive nature, the emphasis should be placed not on winning, but on the process of the game itself.
- Don't forget that each child has their own character, temperament and hobbies. Whatever the temptation to place them in the same developmental activities, it is worth listening to the opinions and desires of each of the children. By attending diverse classes and developing in different areas, children will not attract the attention of their parents to themselves, rejoicing in the achievements of both themselves and their brother or sister.
Even if children periodically have disputes, fights and conflicts, nevertheless, none of the children can imagine their life without the other, because not every child is so lucky - to have a playmate around the clock. Your peers are almost the same age, and often have similar interests and hobbies. You can see activities that kids can indulge in without the participation of parents in the article “Independent games or 40 ways to entertain children”, however, in this article we will offer both independent games for the weather, and joint games - a mother with two children, or even games for the whole family with dad.
Educational games for two children
All parents want to give their children as much as possible of everything they might need in life. This also applies to early development, because it is until the age of seven that a child’s cognitive function is at its highest. That is why it is worth noting some educational games for two children that your age will surely enjoy.
Mosaic – we create pictures from small details
More diligent, girls of the same age willingly put together small particles interesting pictures, but the boys will also like it. As children grow, the mosaic elements should decrease in size, which is necessary for the development of fine motor skills and dexterity in children.
At the same time, there is a lot of mosaics, and it is quite enough to captivate both children for some time. And with joint efforts they can easily create real masterpieces!
We develop logic and tactile sensitivity in children
Most often, boys of the same age like to delve into small details, but girls are not far behind them. Therefore, children who are prone to perseverance will happily sort through a bunch of mixed screws, beans, beads and pasta, putting them in different jars, mixing them with their hands and scattering them around the room. You can arrange objects in containers not only according to their type, but also based on their color, shape, and whether they are edible or not.
However, such a game must be carried out under the supervision of adults, otherwise the bean may end up in the nose, and the screw in the stomach. To avoid this, you can play with edible objects, such as candied fruits and nuts.
Puzzles – a sea of benefits and interest
Puzzles are invaluable helpers in the development of your children; they not only appeal to all kids, but also contribute to the development of logic, fine motor skills, and observation.
Modern manufacturers offer different puzzles for every age. The older child can already be given puzzles consisting of 9-16 pieces, and the baby can be offered soft foam rubber puzzles, broken into pieces from 2 to 5. However, the mother should captivate the younger child with the game and control it, otherwise, if neglected, the work of the firstborn, puzzles, may suffer which will be scattered, licked or torn.
Reading - a look into the magical world of fairy tales
Nothing will develop the imagination and vocabulary your children than reading fiction. Reading books together will be interesting for both kids, especially those of a similar age. In the same age, there is rarely a contradiction in the recommended literature, when one still needs to read Teremok, and the second – about pirates and fairies. Most often, children of the same age willingly listen to works that are common to their age.
We should not forget that we live in the 21st century. Children also really like audio fairy tales, books with talking buttons, toys that tell fairy tales and sing songs.
These are not all educational games that can be offered to both children at once; any game can be adapted in such a way that it is accessible to both the older and the youngest child.
Role-playing games for two young children
Starting from about two years old, children willingly play role-playing games; moreover, such games are a certain stage in a child’s growing up. For example, boys the same age enthusiastically fight with swords, drive buses, play pirates and ninjas, while girls imagine themselves as princesses and try on the role of a fairy. And children of both sexes willingly support games of hospital, kindergarten and mother-daughter games. Children’s imagination is inexhaustible, especially since two people can realize much more interesting scenarios. And if the children don’t come up with it themselves, then the adults will give it to them worthwhile ideas. The most popular game options can be summarized as follows.
Cooking from a chef in a restaurant or drinking tea at home?
Of course, girls of the same age are more willing to play cooking, but boys in those families where the father often stands at the stove also like to try on the role of a cook.
Most often, culinary masterpieces are imaginary, or made from toy products, but brave mothers can give their children ordinary products - medium-sized vegetables, cheese or sausage, a couple of slices of bread. Children will be happy to feed themselves, each other and their large army of robots and dolls.
Good Doctor Aibolit
It doesn’t matter whether you are same-sex or opposite-sex, all children love to play doctor and patient. Most often, the older child treats the younger one to everyone’s satisfaction, since life experience The first-born is sicker, and also visits to the doctor.
Children happily play with purchased doctor's kits, but the purpose of half of the items in them, with the exception of a syringe and a stethoscope, is unknown even to their parents. Therefore, it is a good idea to supplement the set with small candies and round confectionery toppings depicting pills, tinted water, cotton pads, bandages and adhesive plaster. A magnifying glass, measuring tape and doctor's glasses are welcome. Glasses are the most important thing!
A rock band gives an exclusive concert in your home!
Among modern toys In all children, half or a third are performed by sound variations or imitation of musical instruments. It's easy to get kids interested in playing a synthesizer, whistle, trumpet, drum or tambourine together. And if the whole family organizes a rock concert together, it will be an unforgettable experience.
You can even create a certain image, put on wigs, sunglasses and rock!
Lego constructor - choose roles to suit your taste
Lego is a wonderful thematic construction set that absolutely all parents and children are familiar with. Now you can choose any series of the famous toy - Lego firefighters, Lego princesses in a magic castle, and Lego zoo.
Construction from ready-made elements develops children's motor skills, imagination, and role-playing variations provide rich food for children's imagination and imagination. Construction sets differ in the size of the building elements depending on the age of the children, but the ones are almost always in the same age range.
If the child has not yet “ripened” to construction, then it is quite possible to play the game “city mayor and the formidable Godzilla”, in which the older one builds, and the younger one destroys what has been built to everyone’s delight.
“Voynushka” – a school of life
Even if you are of different genders, it will be difficult for you to avoid this game, and even more so for parents of two boys. But the parents of two girls may well not become acquainted with the destructive power of this role-playing game. Nevertheless, the game is fun, familiar to everyone since childhood and does not require much explanation.
Wigwam - Indian dwelling
Young children, like children of any other age, will happily climb into a large box or a special tent, where you can organize a circus, a castle, a headquarters, or just a cozy little house.
Creative weather games
All children respond favorably to creative activities. And even those of opposite sexes - a girl and a boy - will willingly engage in creativity together, spending quietly and peacefully from 20 minutes to a couple of hours.
Masterpieces of your painters
Drawing is a great way to develop your children holistically. This and fine motor skills, and a sense of shape and color, and the development of thinking and perception, and much, much more. It is also a universal activity that absolutely all children enjoy. Under your supervision, children can draw with paints and felt-tip pens, and for independent drawing, they can be given pencils, wax crayons, or even regular chalk and a slate board.
Ease of execution - coloring pages
Coloring is much easier than doing it yourself, but it requires kids to be careful. There are large figures for little ones, or coloring pages with more details for older children. And in lately Many parents print coloring pages directly on the printer.
Applications – creativity for everyone
Both children will enjoy making appliques. You can prepare everything for the mother, or you can organize the process in such a way that the firstborn will cut out the shapes, and the baby will stick them on.
It is not necessary to use only paper - feel free to include cotton pads, cereals, fine sand, and ordinary leaves in the list of possible equipment. Everything is in your hands!
Our whole life is theater!
Both kids can enjoy watching home theater scenes in which their parents play roles, or with the help of puppet theater give performances on your own. To do this, you don’t even need to buy a special children’s home theater, just finger puppets and blankets are enough.
Young sculptors
Both boys and girls will appreciate these entertainments, even if your children are of different genders. Plasticine in itself provides unlimited scope for children’s imagination, but modern world offers numerous solutions for the lazy and unwilling to think - ice cream factories, plasticine Jurassic Park, and plasticine clothes for your favorite Disney princesses.
You can even make homemade harmless plasticine, sculpt from colored salt dough, make figurines from plaster, and use plasticine in applications.
Creativity is one of the leading activities of children, and, of course, this is the lion's share of the development and upbringing of children. In addition, outdoor games for two children are actively used in education, about which a separate, no less interesting article has been written.
Raising the weather with the help of games
Games for two small children are of great importance in their development and form the basis for such an important matter as raising children. Using your imagination and with the proper desire, you can come up with a lot of activities that will develop the necessary skills in both children, and adapt them to the conditions of the difference in age, level of knowledge and skills of your age. And we will offer you even more interesting ideas in subsequent articles!
Many parents who dream of children with a small age difference (one after another) imagine that the grown children will be friends and turn almost into one. But very often reality destroys all expectations: older people cannot find a common language with each other, and sometimes they stop communicating altogether. What are the reasons for this behavior? How ? Found out “I am a Parent”.
We have collected the misconceptions of mothers and fathers in order to show with real examples what difficulties can arise when raising children and how parents can prevent mistakes in time.
“After the maternity hospital, I want to give all my attention to the baby”
Psychologist's opinion: The period of adaptation after childbirth is indeed very difficult, and if there is an opportunity to turn to grandmothers and nannies for help, then this is the most opportune moment! It is worth considering that physical and psychological resources are not limitless, so during such a period it is necessary for the mother to introduce the concept of load distribution. If the older child takes on part of the care, this can really give the mother strength. At the same time, it is important to make sure that the older one does not think that the younger one takes up all the mother’s time. It is advisable to pay more attention to the older child while the younger one is sleeping or in the evening, when dad returns from work and can help with the younger one.
The older child’s reaction to his mother returning from the maternity hospital may also be far from obvious. You think that he misses you and will immediately rush into your arms. But the meeting can also be very cold: the older baby can push his mother away, turn away, squeak and even hit. He doesn’t understand why mom was gone for so long, and he can’t predict whether such a separation will happen again in the near future, so in this way the baby is trying to protect himself from worries.
At this moment, you need to understand and accept the older child’s mixed feelings towards his mother. At the same time, express your feelings: “I understand that you may be offended, and it seems as if I forgot about you, but this is not so. I really disappeared for a while - I had to go to the hospital to return to you with your dear little person.”
If dad has learned to manage his first child, then he becomes the main assistant. The father can put the older one to bed, feed him, and walk with him, while the mother takes care of the younger one. Don't forget about family outings on weekends.
“I often lash out at my elders! He is jealous of my youngest child, he can hit the baby, he makes noise all the time and jumps around the apartment... My nerves can’t stand it.”
Psychologist's opinion: You need to protect the little one, but not by aggressive methods towards the older one. You cannot punish physically. Otherwise, the elder’s behavior will only get worse. Most likely, the older child will not remember the swearing at such a time. early age, but negative experiences will remain in the subconscious. At this point, his feelings of fear and pain begin to be associated with the younger child. That is, the elder thinks: “I’ll do something for him and then I’ll get it.” If similar situations are repeated in the future, it is very difficult to build friendly, trusting relationships between the same people. Later, as adults, people come to see a psychologist with a sincere misunderstanding of the reasons for hatred of their brother or sister.
To stop aggressive behavior, it is necessary to clearly, but rather softly and without raised intonations, say what cannot be done: “I understand that you are not doing this to harm on purpose. But you are a priori bigger and stronger, so you can make the baby feel bad and hurt.” In order for the child to hear you and, most importantly, understand you, it is necessary to establish eye contact before speaking.
“We won’t buy clothes. For what? The younger one wears everything after the older one.”
Psychologist's opinion: This mainly applies to children of the same sex, but a similar situation can also occur in families with children of opposite sexes (for example, when they are still very young or wear unisex items). What we are talking about: among the same age, the phenomenon of merging is very common, when the elder and the younger do not distinguish each other. They are not even able to identify themselves when answering some questions (“Who broke the cup?”). Both will point at each other. And not because they lie - they seem to be an indivisible whole. Of course, in the case of clothes, the bulk of the things will be shared, but still find the opportunity to buy your own things for your youngest child. These things will emphasize his individuality (match his eye color, mood, etc.). When raising children of the same age, it is necessary to focus attention not on the similarities, but on the differences.
An interesting phenomenon: the more these differences are supported by mom and dad, the softer the relationship between the children will be. And if one child is interested in playing music and drawing, while the other prefers boxing and athletics, try to listen to the wishes of both kids. You should not send them to the same section or force one person to take classes. Try to give children the opportunity to develop separately from each other. Perhaps over time they will attract each other.
“They will go to school together - in the same class. It will be convenient to pick up"
Psychologist's opinion: Indeed, this approach saves parents time and effort, but if children of the same age go to the same group in kindergarten, are sent to the same class, then this again is more reminiscent of the twin model of education. Moreover, if we are talking about the weather, the guideline in it is the level of development of the older child. It turns out that the younger one has to develop not at his natural pace, but in the same way as the older one. Still, there is an age difference! And the younger the children, the more pronounced this difference is.
Of course, raising children of the same age is a separate topic in which there is always room for additional questions, discussions and disputes, but in general, both when raising children of the same age and when raising one child, there is one universal rule: “All parents make mistakes - and This is fine". There is no need to punish yourself for mistakes or blame yourself - feeling guilty takes a lot of energy that could be spent on correcting mistakes.
Have you planned the arrival of another baby in the family, but don’t know how your firstborn will react? Psychologists of the I-Parent portal have prepared a test for parents of preschoolers, which will allow them to determine whether the baby is ready for the arrival of a brother or sister.
Children are happiness. And I am happy squared away, since I have two wonderful boys with an age difference of 1 year and 10 months. Yes, my boys are the same age, and I don’t regret it one bit. It may sometimes be difficult with them, but these are all the little things in life.
Let me make a reservation right away that we didn’t plan any later years, but wanted a second child about 7 years after the first. Well, since everything turned out this way, my husband, my oldest son and I began to wait for the ultrasound, at which we were informed that we would have another son. For some reason, my husband and I had mutual joy, and we were even glad that we weren’t having a girl.
The first thoughts that came to me at that moment were only that it was easier to have two sons of the same age than children of different sexes. Perhaps many ladies will not agree with me, but let me voice the main advantages of this state of affairs (again, at my discretion):
- you already know how to care for a baby boy;
With a minimal age difference, most things go to the youngest in perfect condition, which means there is a moment of saving;
The behavior of the younger son can be adjusted as the eldest son grows up, that is, without making previous mistakes. Simply by encountering the stages of boys growing up, you can learn the correct model of parental behavior after certain events.
We take into account the interests of both children
Of all the above advantages, I would like to dwell on the behavior of children - BOYS with an age difference of up to two years. First of all, I will describe all the main nuances that I encountered as my children grew up, and this is from the birth of my youngest son until the present day. Now the eldest child is 4 years old, and the youngest is 2 years and 2 months old.
We prepared our son in advance for the birth of his brother, so he knew very well that soon he would not be alone. When he saw the baby for the first time, the son said that the baby was very small and that it was not interesting to be with him yet. There was no jealousy as such, but the child showed some discomfort, so we decided to try to maintain the same daily routine for our eldest son. How difficult it was for us! Now we know firsthand that boys are more attached to their mom than to their dad.
My eldest son was used to falling asleep to a fairy tale with me, but now I was breastfeeding the baby and falling asleep together became impossible. Then it was decided that the eldest son would go to bed, and I would sit next to him and tell the story for as long as needed, while simultaneously breastfeeding and putting the younger child to bed.
Strategy of behavior or ugly boys
So six months passed, and the youngest son crawled. This is where the “fun” began. The younger one needed the older one’s toys, but the older one did not want to give them away, since he was still interested in them. I had to buy similar toys and duplicate the most interesting ones. But the eight-month-old baby, imitating the play of an older child, played like a one-year-old toddler. Why were numerous guests surprised?
From all this it follows that if possible, buy the boys identical toys (of course, while they are small), this will avoid hysterics and make the boys understand that playing together is much more interesting. And also the younger child will understand what games the boy needs to play and will choose priority activities for himself. In a year you won’t even hear the children, they will play together happily and happily.
Next we were waited for pleasant surprises. little son, around the year, I began to show interest in the potty, we bought a second copy of this toilet item. And, lo and behold! The baby began to go to the potty correctly (with knowledge of his anatomical features) without any problems. True, he and his older son spend a lot of time on the potty (singing songs). Now he is already peeing while standing. Girls, don’t scold the boys for sloppy teaching the other to go to the toilet. Believe that children will sort out their own affairs better than we, mothers.
It’s true what they say: the youngest son looks up to his older brother, and the little sister looks up to his mother. So let the eldest child be a model, but at the same time focus on his bad actions. Scold him a little in front of the little one. Let him understand that his brother did something bad and his mother was angry. The baby will learn that mom was angry with her brother, but I won’t do that - mom won’t scold me.
Things like this are even more fun: “I misbehaved, and it’s up to you to answer”. So it goes like this:
“Egor, let’s take the candy without asking,” says the elder.
- Let's.
- You take it, and I’ll wait for now.
And at that moment we come in - it turns out that we caught the younger one. In this case, we scold both of them, since the older one has such “stunts” regularly.
In cases where boys fight (not without this), you should not punish only the older one. Often the younger one acts as a provocateur, especially since in boys the sense of rivalry is heightened to the limit. It’s worth looking into it, asking questions, and if both are playing partisans, then it’s better to say that you’re upset by their behavior. The spirit of competition will prevail, and they will race to ask for your forgiveness. The conflict will be resolved.
Ladies, I want to emphasize once again that this is my personal experience, and perhaps mothers of girls the same age or children of different sexes will tell a completely different story, but this is exactly how it is with our boys.
Despite everything, the guys love each other very much, and are incredibly bored alone.
