When my first child was a newborn, he would sleep through ANYTHING. His daytime crib lived in our open-plan lounge room, where I would vacuum, play loud music, watch TV, make phone calls, eat meals. Through *anything* I tell you.

My second child is soooo different. He cries at EVERYTHING!

Too much noise. Too much light. Too many weird smells.
Too cold. Too hot. Too wet. Too pooey. Too fast.

Aargh. He’s just so sensitive. At first I was really annoyed, because - to tell the truth - I don’t particularly like sensitive people. Especially when they are high maintenance, fussy for no good reason and when it’s impossible to make them happy!

But I recently read somewhere, “Babies who are extra-sensitive and difficult, usually have a higher IQ due to their attention to stimulation and detail.”

And that kinda made me feel better. It kinda put a whole positive spin on things. That I shouldn’t really see this as a bad thing. That I shouldn’t push and expect him to be like his big brother. And that I probably should try to nurture this inborn temperament.

So after a month of Sean’s constant daytime grizzling and grumbling, it occurred to me that maybe Sean is a lot like… A NORMAL HUMAN BEING.

I mean, if I was trying to take a nap, I wouldn’t put up with being in a noisy room with all the lights on, with the tv blaring in the background and with a toddler stomping and singing “GO GO FIRE TRUUUUUUCK!”.

So now Sean sleeps a glorious 2-3 hours during the day, in yes, a dark and quiet room on the other side of the house.

Now, am I good at this mothering thing or what?

Stumble This!