Pretty Big Butterflies

Parenthood is exhausting at the best of times, but throw two children under the age of two into the mix and it can become a Superhuman task. From chaotic bedtimes to getting out of the house, manoeuvring two almost-babies can take 3 times as long than it should. But what’s the flipside of the coin? There are a number of perks to having two children so close in age; so while I’m in a good mood, here’s some of the best.

You can rinse and repeat

Let’s cut to the chase and say that hand me downs are pretty brilliant. They can share the same toys, and you can re-use old baby clothes and equipment right after the eldest child has finished with them. If you’re not planning to have any more children after this, this means that you can get rid of your baby clutter as soon as the youngest one doesn’t need it any more. As well as this, the developmental stages of your eldest baby will still be fresh in your mind when the youngest one reaches them, meaning that — at least in theory — parenthood should feel smoother the second time around. If it’s not smoother, at least you’ll have got the hardest years out of the way faster.

I learnt two major things with Cameo. Firstly, babies go through a lot of clothes. I mean A LOT! I learnt that stocking up on good quality basics was much better than getting fancy outfits. I mean trying to put my boys in gorgeous shirts and jeans means they look good but it takes ages! Honestly, the Mothercare Lovingly Made, Perfectly Priced range is a little life saver. If it’s your first born, you might not realise but you’ll go through the basics so quickly. Getting your vests and bodysuits from the Lovingly Made, Perfectly Priced range means that your bank balance is happy and you know what your little one is wearing is baby friendly. The range is super soft as it’s made from 100% cotton, washes up well and can easily be passed down to the next little one. But if they decide to do an explosive poo and the bodysuit really is done for, you don’t feel like your wasting money by having to get rid of it.

I have to say that the fit is really good too, it’s what Marlo is wearing in these pictures. He is wearing 3-6 months and is just stepping to the 4-month mark. The neck is super stretchy so dressing Marlo doesn’t feel like a wrestling match and there are coloured poppers so it’s easier to fasten up at 3 am in the morning! It’s the little things that make a difference!

They can be best friends

Having two children close in age means that they’ll share a lot of the same interests, and be a similar developmental level throughout their childhood. They’ll always have each other’s back (at least outside of the house) and can have the security of knowing there’s always someone there for them. They can learn through play together. The extra bonus of this is that the younger sibling will often be keen to copy the elder, which can lead to faster potty training and other developmental milestones.

At the moment, Marlo is besotted with Cameo. He is only 4 months old but watched Cameo constantly! He is already trying to sit up and has started rolling over occasionally. He wants to be involved in whatever his brother is doing. It can be hard because Cameo runs around everywhere which is a bit of a hazard so we needed somewhere safe and comfortable for Marlo to chill out.

We didn’t have this with Cameo but I wish we did. ‘Teddys Toy Box sit me up cosy‘ is a brilliant little invention. Right now we’re using it as a soft supportive nest for Marlo. He can lay in it and nap in it. It’s basically to inflatable rings covered in the softest fabric. I wish they did adult ones!

As Marlo gets a little older it will turn into a supportive prop for him to sit up in and play with his toys and look around. Plus the top petal layer can be taken off and used for a tummy time mat. It’s a great baby item that can be used for the first year and beyond. If you’re looking for a baby shower gift, this is for you! This is a great example of something that can be stored away and use again if you have another little one.

They will learn independence

With two children under two reliant on you for everything, your attention will naturally be divided between both of them. This means that they will need to learn to share and to be less dependent on you faster than an only child would be. Well, here’s hoping anyway!

You can sync up their sleep times

This is possibly one of the biggest perks for sleep-deprived parents — if you have two children close in age, they will need a roughly similar amount of sleep. You can, therefore, aim to get them sleeping and napping at the same time, meaning that it should be easier to catch your own 40 winks.

It’s still too early for us to put this fully into practice but Marlo has started sleeping longer at night time and not so much in the day. To be fair, poor Marlo hardly gets any sleep when his big bro is at home because he runs around like a wild banshee!

See, there are some perks to having 2 under 2. I have to say the biggest one is being a little more relaxed about parenting and a little more wiser about baby purchases. The first time around I honestly accumulated so much stuff for Cameo that he just didn’t want or need. With Marlo, we’re stocking up on the basics, like the Mothercare Lovingly Made, Perfectly Priced range and then thinking about any other things we might want to buy. Honestly, it makes such a difference if you just try and make things easy and simple for yourself!