wild children

[mikester]

My boy's pretty good, he loves helping me with whatever project I am working on. Doesn't matter what it is - just likes helping his daddy.

Number 2 is about 2 months old now.

Wife left me home alone with both of them again tonight - got them both in bed for the first time without incident.

I texted her "I win" - she didn't get it. Said parenting wasn't a war to win through a succession of battles.

Clearly she doesn't understand parenthood.

My oldest is almost 4, he was a rather messy eater between 12 months and 2.5 years. He isn't exactly neat now but now he can use a broom.

[lisa_spyder]

Peppy,

This your first born? Chill - it will all be fine; he's only a little tacker and doing what comes naturally .

Our first didn't get into too much trouble really, but then he had a "minder" - my Border Collie Aggie who took it upon herself to be his shadow. Tom didn't get away with anything much as Aggie would not allow it. She would bark for me to come running if he tried to get into much that I didn't see. Amazing dog; did all my hard work for me .

The second, Charlotte was the angel baby...first 12 months I had to keep pinching myself as she was just so good! I did say the first 12 months...after that she was into everything and anything; fell up, down and off things, got into the most impossible places - kept me on my toes! When she was quiet I would be panicking... She hated her cot and by 12 months old we had her on the floor on her mattress and barricaded in her room.

The third - good God ...by nine months Billy was running! A big, brutus of a boy who barrelled into all and sundry. I could not keep him out of things, nor stop him from being where he should not have been. At six months old he scaled a childproof gate and climbed up the open staircase...whilst Mike took the stairs three at a time to grab him, I was hedging my bets at catching him should he fall through the ballustrade from the top . Billy climbed out of his cot at 12 months old; over-balanced right before my eyes and landed on his head (thankfully on thick carpet).

I have photos of all of them at around 12 months literally covered in food! Food is play at this age as well as sustainance. I mean, if you were that age wouldn't custard or spagetti look just great to play with? It stops soon enough (and in the case of boys starts again in teenage years if you let them - don't ask how I know!).

The boys have both had stitches, Billy broke his arm at 2yo, Charlotte broke her leg at 4yo. None of these injuries were sustained doing anything dangerous; just kid accidents. The kids take after both of us - we were adventurous and tough too.

All the kids know their way around tools, know which way to tighten/untighten nuts, bolts etc, know how to wield a hammer and how to split wood. My best advice is to start them early with little tools (real ones) and their own little workbench. Nothing dangerous, but enough to get their creative juices flowing. We made Tom his own bench when he was three, put a little vice on it and set him up with his own carpenter's belt and tools (mini-size). Put a stack of small wood offcuts in a box and off he went! Our kids are still using this set-up and our youngest is nine.

Peppy, it's all part of childhood - as much as my kids gave me grey hairs early, I wouldn't trade their adventurous and sometimes mischievous personalities for anything.

Enjoy being a Dad!

Cheers,

Lisa

[peppy]

Originally Posted by 125shifter

You ARE lucky Lee, I can't my 14yo boy anywhere near the garage and I never have

Peppy, is he your 2nd? I've heard the 1st child is usually good which tricks you into having another and the 2nd is the terror. I've also been told you're not really a parent until you have at least 2 kids. We stopped at one

We had identical boys, but lost one. My wife and I agree we are done having children.

[peppy]

Oh don't get me wrong I am having a ball watching him run around tearing up everything he can get his hands on.

To sit and watch him try to figure something out is amazing.

Thanks for all the stories.