How different was your 2nd child to your first? Temperament etc

[Dozeyland]

Inow everyone is different, but how so in your experiences?

I always hear people saying their kids are so different.

DS1 and DS2 have some differences - DS1 is much more sensitive, whereas DS2 is more of a get up, brush yourself down type of child.

BUT, there are huge similarities - both very giggly, both quite laid back 90% of the time, but when they have a tantrum, blimey you know about it and they are difficult to distract out of their tantrum 'zone'.

So if anything, I think they are more similar than different. Maybe as they get older, their differences will emerge more?

Both my boys have been very similar so far though DS2 is only 10 weeks old! Both bery grumpy, cry-y, hard to settle, miserable babies, short naps, hate pushchair and car seat etc. The only thing that is getting me through is the fact that DS1 is now an utterly adorable, clever, funny, chatty 4 year old so I know there is light at the end of the tunnel! They even look identical as babies except DS1 has blue eyes and DS2 has brown. Other than that they litterally look like the same baby, especially in pictures of them asleep I can't actually tell the difference and have to look at the clothes they are wearing in the photos .

ye gods, rowanrowow, everyone else was giving me hope. I had convinced myself that DC2 (bun in oven) couldn't possibly be as tough as DS1 was as a tiny baby. I must have more sleep this time round!!

DS (now 3yo) was and still is very high maintenance. DD (6mo) is easy-peasy. I think this might be a lot down to me being more relaxed second time around and a bit less PFB. I am still very PFB about DS; does that ever go away?

Looks wise they're quite similar but they have very different temperaments.

DS was always quite shy and would cry any time we went somewhere new or someone other than me or DH held him, even his gps, whom he saw once a week.

DD on the other hand smiles at anyone and everyone ALL the time and is the sunniest baby I have ever come across.

DS slept through from 5 months and DD has had to be "persuaded" into it with a lot of shhh patting at nearly 10 months.

I would say polar opposites, but, now they are teens, it's amazing how often people tell me they are so alike ! .

My children are both similar and different I think. They are both very intelligent and have inquiring questioning minds. ds is an introvert, driven very much by his own ideas, whereas dd is very extrovert and is much more interested in pleasing people she likes (so far all her teachers, which has been great for her grades). ds was a very easy baby, fed every four hours, settled easily, content to play on his own. dd was awful! Just so demanding, needed interaction all the time, screamed for hours, wouldn't go to sleep on her own. She has been pretty delightful ever since, whereas ds although lovely was a very difficult toddler/little boy, always throwing tantrums and getting into trouble. We wonder what they will be like as teens!

twins so rather differeent and a hell of alot easier than the first.

Oh no! 21 weeks pregnant with DC2 and DS is/ was very laid back (about most things!). Everyone keeps telling me I won't have two as good as him. I smile and laugh and say "I know", but I don't want to actually believe it!!

Arrgh sorry DameFlatYouLent ! Wasn't my intention to scare you haha! It's only been my experience. Everyone else seems to have had entirely different children. Maybe mine will grow up to be polar oposites but who knows! All I can say is so far the baby stag has been similar apart from DS2 sleeps worse at night than DS1 did! I am sure you'll get an angel this time ! Even if not, you know second time round that you will survive. And whilst DS1 was a truly high needs over sensitive grumpy baby he does not have any of these traits as a child and hasn't done since he turned 2 so fingers crossed DS2 will morph into a happy manageable child!

DD1 is outgoing, completely fearless, and has a brilliant mind, DD2 is clingy and scared of her own shadow but is very artistic, and DS is the best of them both: cuddly and fearless!

DD1 & 2 sleep. DS is 2.7 and hasn't ever slept through.

Physically, the main difference is colouring - DD1 is blonde and blue-eyed (me as a child) and DD2 is dark-haired and brown-eyed (DH as a child). DD2 was much bigger at birth than DD1 but 11 months on she looks identical to DD1 at the same age (eyes excepted).

I think they're going to be very different personalities. DD1 slept through early on but is just go-go-go all the time. Walked early. Potty-trained early. Generally precocious. DD2 didn't sleep through until 10 months and is very laid back. Happy to watch what's going on and is crawling well but at a chilled pace. But, boy, she has a temper!

The differences felt more subtle at the start and have got more pronounced as my youngest (19 months) has grown into herself.

I think they are different in ways I didn't expect. I didn't realise what an easy ride I'd had with getting my first child's haircut, now I know how bad it can be!

DD1 was very quite only woke every four hours for a feed/milk. But she didn't like 'proper' food until well over a year. Didn't sleep through until she was 2.6mths.

DD2 screamed from the moment she was breathing. Hated milk never drank more then 2oz of milk at one time which take an hour for her to take. But she self weaned at 6mths and still loves her food. Barely drinks any milk but eats plenty of cheese and yogurt. She slept from 11pm to 6am from 6weeks.

DS is a mixture of the good bits of both dd's he would drink his milk, slept through from 7wks and weaned onto 'proper' food with no fuss.

I have to say dd1 still wakes me more then the younger 2, and she always wakes at 3am as she did as a baby.

My experience echoes that of many of the other posters.

In fact, I would say exactly the same as Shutupanddrive, except I have two dds.

Yep, they are quite different with dd2 being MUCH more spirited!

Mine are the complete opposite of each other. It's wierd how you expect them to be carbon copies of each other. DS1 is a total drama queen, bouncing off the walls, and very obsessive. DS2 is placid as you like, nothing fazes him. I was bracing myself for two DS1's and was pretty relieved when DS2 wasn't at all the same.

I do love DS1 just as much as DS2 of course! Both were identical in personality as babies though, strangely, both very good natured, slept well and were placid.

Dd1 was shy, early to hit all targets, ate anything you gave her, creative, academic, sensitive.

Dd2 - confident, ate anything you gave her, creative, academic.

Ds1 - neither shy nor confident, very fussy with food, creative, not academic, sensitive.