Second time around...
I have that child (almost 1yo). The one who doesn't move from your side during groups/classes. The one who pays attention to the teacher. Looks disapprovingly at other babies crawling around or trying to poke each other in the eye. Participates, but cautiously. Susses out the situation first.
DC1 was wild. Climbed everything. Into everything. Everywhere. Toys, clothes, cuddlies thrown left, right and centre. DC2 is so different. In years to come, I feel that DC2 will be the child with the perfectly organised pencil-case and not a hair out of place.
I wasn't expecting this. I'm set up to parent a DC1-type child - it's all about distraction, containment, rescue, off-the-cuff risk assessment, "can they reach the road before me?". DC2 looks at me a lot of the time like I'm mad... why would they want to climb this? Do that? Why go over the sofa cushion mound I've made on the floor when they could just sidestep neatly around it?
Semi-lighthearted, but no idea what to do with the DC2s. I feel a bit like we're letting DC2 down as a family; we're a disorganised, chaotic, noisy, scatty bunch. And all the time DC2 is just taking it all in and making mental notes. So that as soon as they get going with the walking and talking, they can start sorting the whole sorry lot of us out.
Anyone else have a similar baby? How have they turned out?