Member Articles

When our first child was 11 months old, we decided to start trying for another baby. Nine months later, we welcomed our second baby girl. The first couple of years were difficult, with basically raising two babies while working full-time as well, but once they got a bit older and able to play with each other more easily, we hit a stretch of fairly smooth sailing. They are close enough in age that they tend to hit the same milestones at

around the same times nowadays.

Enter baby number three. She was born when our oldest was almost 5 and our second daughter had just turned 3. Now, her big sisters adore her and there’s really been very little sibling rivalry. But “baby” has

now turned to “toddler” -- a very independent, stubborn toddler, no less -- and life has gotten much more interesting.

Her favorite words at the moment are “mine” and “me too!” She not only wants to do everything that the “big girls” do, she thinks that she can and it’s extremely difficult to convince her otherwise. Tears and

tantrums are more common than I like to think about, usually resulting in a sobbing, frustrated little girl finally turning to someone for help with whatever she was trying to attempt that she wasn’t quite ready for anyway.

Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. Having a toddler who is very interested in this whole potty idea (because big sisters use it, of course!) isn’t something I am complaining about, for sure. And Little Miss

Independent is quite happy to work on dressing herself and other tasks that she sees bigger kids doing themselves. It’s just taking some getting used to on our parts. I keep finding myself saying, “you can’t do that yet!” only to revise myself shortly afterward as I realize that often, she can.