When one becomes two...

When I had my second child, I always knew it would be harder work than having one, for the obvious things, an extra person to cloth and bath and entertain etc, etc, but there were some things which I have found surprising and a little unexpected,

Firstly, the learning to share, I have found came much earlier than with my first, as soon as she could move actually and that in a way, I had to teach the older one all over again, now there was this new person 'in their home' rather than someone at nursery or a friend who came and went.

The extra tidying, to be expected but Im still surprised how much mess two small people can make, my youngest is terrible for pulling things out as soon I tidy up, much more than my eldest does/did.

You need eyes in the back of your head and two extra arms, to watch two small people doing two different things in different places (oh no, i've lost one, what is she doing? before she pulls all my shoes out the wardrobe).

You get used to your first child's habits and ways but then this new, completely different person comes along and does everything differently, sometimes in a good way, sometimes not so good!  Expect the unexpected always!

Copying and imitation, with three and a half years between them, their skill set is pretty wide, yet the smaller still thinking she can do as the bigger, leading to mummy having a heartache on a regular basis and having to stop bigger throwing herself around for fear of smaller copying, which she will try!

Teaching a new kind of 'responsibilty' to the older in terms of the above, and a sneaky way of mum stopping her sofa, bed etc being ruined by bouncing children.

Sibling rivalry, know I knew this was coming, always does but what surprised me is how early it came and how it has now evolved.  The younger is more clingy and protective (?) even though she has always had to 'share' me than the older who had me to herself for 3 and a half years and now has to share!