Is/was your second child the ‘troublemaker’?

[gabbagool]

Interested to hear who else has had the cliche ‘unruly’ second child?

My first born was a very easy toddler (although perhaps I look back with rose-tinted glasses), mild-mannered, easily distracted/negotiated out of a tantrum, ate whatever you put in front of her, played nicely with other kids. You get the jist.

My second born (22 months) is basically the opposite: destructive, boisterous, doesn’t listen, terrible eater, isn’t remotely nice to his sister etc etc. My husband and I joke that he’s the classic second child but is that an actual thing? Was your first born an angel compared to your second?!

My second was definitely harder as a toddler/young child. DC 1 was very calm and easy going when very young. They kinda switched places now since they started school.. DC 1 gets in trouble all the time and DC 2 is an angel (not always at home, but definitely everywhere else 😄)

Yes absolutely!!!

I'd agree with you except for one thing - the decision to have a second is not independent of the temperament of the first. So I think there might be slightly more easier oldest children, because some of the potential difficult oldest siblings end up as an only child because their parents don't want to risk rolling the dice again.

Mine are similar - different challenges but overall the same 'level' of challenge!

My two are completely the opposite way round, for the most part. With the exception of throwing stuff and drawing on walls which DC1 didn't do much of either and DC2 does it a lot but that's just attention seeking and in fairness they obviously do get less attention given we now have two of them.

I’ve got 3 DC and my second child is the quietest and most compliant of the 3.

Yes.

Eldest dc is so laid back he's almost horizontal and has been since a baby. He was like a little old man as a child. Calm, sensible, wise far beyond his years.

Dc2 was climbing things before he could walk. And flinging himself off. He's always been a risk taker, always goes at 100mph, does things without thinking. Has had more visits to A&E than I can remember...breaks, sprains, concussion twice. Does very well in school but we have regular notes from his form tutor along the lines of 'have had to have a word with Dc2 about why demonstrating how to best climb the external wall of building 2 to the new year 7's was not appropriate' 🤦‍♀️

Dc3 is a carbon copy of dc1 which was just as well as I'm not sure my nerves would have held up otherwise!

Dc2 is "fondly" known as baby banshee because when things don't go her way, she wails and screams piercingly. Mil reckons she could wake the dead. She's 5 now and shows no sign of stopping weaponising sound.

She's known how to push her brother's buttons basically since she could talk. She's also his biggest defender if anyone else upsets him but that's not without issues either. She'd argue over anything and had an opinion on everything even if she doesn't fully understand what it is.

On the other hand Sil 2 has never given mil any issues. Dh on the other hand...he's number 3!

My second is the easiest (16), DS1 was the hardest when a smaller child and DD is the hardest - but she has ADHD.

Both easy, but second actually easier than the first.

For now! (They are still young).

My second is very small. Only 15 months. But WILD. She fights with us and her brother! We do not understand what she is saying to be fair, but she angry shouts the same noises over and over with a wee pointy finger (where did she see this even?!!).

She is like a toddler in lots of ways. She throws herself on the ground and squeals if she doesn't get what she wants. She kicks, she bites, throws stuff at people. She climbs stuff, runs off. She has been mobile since 6 months, walking from 8 🙈

She does not like to be cuddled for more than a very short minute, then she is off. You need to follow her everywhere!

Obviously, she is very small. And she is so very cute, just adorable. She has a cheeky wee chuckle (usually meaning she has her hands on something older dc has left around that is not allowed). It is lovely to hear (also scary!(

She is a delight, but a terror already in comparison to dc1!

My older 2 are adults now but ds1 was definitely more trouble than ds2 , same with ds3