My boys are such different temperaments ... it gets me every time!

[roisin]

Yesterday ds2 (6) spent virtually the entire day on his own building a Lego Pirate ship.
Then today he spent about 5 hours alone building a huge motorised fairground ride out of K'nex.

He never comes to ask for help. If he loses a bit, he spends ages looking for it; or devises a way of using a substitute. If something doesn't quite work, he constructs a cunning alternative design ...
We are only required to come when summonsed to the grand reveal, and ooh and aah at appropriate places

DS1 is much more demanding of attention and time, no matter what it is he's doing.

My DS's (7yo) are totally different as well despite being identical twins.

DT2 is like your DS2 will play on his own for hours,building,drawing,reading,etc.He is very independant,wants to do everything for himself, he loves making his own toast & can do scrambled egg in the microwave.He loves helping me around the house, can't wait to be given a job to do.

DT1 gets bored easily,loses interest in complicated things,is very bright but has to be pushed to do school work.Would rather have everything done for him,complains bitterly if asked to help or do something for himself.
In fact he's very much like DH
Of course that makes DT" like ME !!

Roisin, my dd (2.3 months) is like ds1. Was ds1 always like that even as a baby/toddler? I was hoping for some light at the end of the tunnel ...

Also, does it affect how self-sufficient your respective ds' are academically or with homework as well? I was like your ds2 - never really relied on teachers - basically self-studied. Do you know whether this means that dd will be more reliant me/teachers in her learning?

wonder if it is "first child syndrome"-(the twins aside of course!)-my ds (4.5) is totally demanding-won't do anything for himself unless he has to. Thinks he can command your time and attention for the whole day-that you were put upon the planet to amuse him!
dd (15months) quite happily potters around by herself-very eager to please etc!
guess we are all different with No 2!

sorry to crush your hypothesis chipkid, but I think mine are the other way round. DS1 is very very focused on his jigsaws which he does repeatedly all day long. If we go to a soft play centre he sits quietly at the table with me and the other mums. DS2 appears to be very active, wanting to be involved, running around, and needing constant attention. DS1 never had separation anxiety, not once. DS2 is a completely different story.

However, DS1 is nearly 3 and DS2 is only 7 months, so all could change.

guess it is temperament then!
I know with my ds we gave so much of our time and attention that he just sees it as his divine right!
He is that temperament though.

fisil my ds's are the same as yours - ds1 is 4 now and ds2 is 2. ds1 will disappear and play alone for hours. with ds2 after 5 minutes he's brought all the toys in to play with wherever we happen to be!

Mine are the same. DD1 (7 yrs) has been able to occupy herself from birth and even now she will just get on with things, but dd2 (20 months) is the complete opposite. Very clingy, won't even sit to eat without tappng her foot or knocking her spoon, she just has to be on the go non stop.

There is a pattern forming here!

Dst1 (4)is very impatient and unless it is a book he doesn't really spend a lot of time on any one activity.

Dst2 on the other hand has amazing focus on what he is doing and, like your ds2, can spend hours on one thing concentrating on what is at hand. Particularly if it is building or drawing.

I have also noticed that when playing together the fact that dst2 is like that means dst1 plays longer with his brother to invent storylines than if alone.

Ds1 (5) is fairly quiet and will happily do his own thing for hours. He avoids asking for help if he possibly can.

Ds2 (nearly 3) is an explosion waiting to happen. If something doesn't work the way he wants it to it will get hurled across the room in a rage.

Despite being almost complete opposites both boys generally get on well together.