Nothing can truly prepare you for your first baby. It’s one of those things in life where you get lots of advice, read tons of books, and seek counsel from other parents, but really nothing prepares you for it. Everything is just new and unknown, and honestly, everyone’s experience is different. The only way to really know what it’s like is to just walk that path. And boy, is it a journey!

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So one might think that the second time around, things would be easier with baby number two, right? I’m here to say no. No, it is not.

Here’s the thing about having baby number two: There are two little kids now. That might not sound like a big deal, but trust me … it’s a big deal. The problem with two kids at home (at least little kids) is that math doesn’t work how it should. You would think that two kids means only twice as much work or stress or whatever other parenting responsibility you want to put there. But it’s not. It’s like 4x more.

I look back on those days with only one kid at home and think to myself, “Oh, how easy it was.” Watching one kid is easy. Watching two kids is much harder. Feeding one kid is easy. Feeding two kids is somehow much more tiring. Putting one kid down for a nap is simple. Putting two kids down for a nap is difficult.

And if you think I’m trying to talk you out of having more than one kid, I’m not. Because here’s the other thing about having baby number two: There are two kids now. That might not sound like a big deal, but trust me … it’s a big deal. And I’ll let you in on a little secret about parenting two little kids. The math doesn’t work how it should. Because you might think all the hugs, smiles, stories, laughter, and love would be twice as much. But it’s not. It’s a lot higher than that. Way more than 4x.

I thought having a second child would be easier, but it’s not. It’s different. Everything is new and unknown again. And that’s okay with me.

‍Words of wisdom from a dad of two

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