Time really does fly, especially with a newborn and when you’re getting very little sleep. Would I change it? Hell no.
Axel is my second child. Having a 2nd, 2 years after the first, really does amplify how tired you’ll be. We spoke to many parents before the new arrival and we’d hear things like:-
Oh, it’s only 30% more work. You’ll be fine.
A Dad I spoke to at a wedding
Ha. It’s 30% more work maybe after a few years. Try 300% more.
A work friend
Unless you’re a stay at home Dad, then it’s definitely more than 30%
My wife
So, which is it? Well, I don’t really see it as work but it’s definitely harder. With Zach, if it was a night where he cluster fed, we knew we’d get some good long stints of time in the day when he’d sleep and we could sleep.
Throw a 2 year old into the mix, who has dropped his daytime nap, and those moments of having a rest in the day vanish. What do I mean? Enter the videos of the time I’d normally be napping..
What’s the solution?
I don’t think there is a solution, apart from treasure these moments as they grow up. I can sleep later. Although there are some things we’re doing as a couple to help each other through:-
- I’m sleeping in a different room, so I can be refreshed and take Zach places in the day (and the wife can nap)
- I’ll have a late night and do an expressed bottle feed around 1am, so the wife can go to bed a little earlier and have a good few hours sleep.
- I try my best to tire the toddler out in the day, so he’ll sleep through (but we’ve had some rough nights)
What are your thoughts? If you have more than one child, how did you manage to get through the whirlwind.
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