By Laura Seaman
Kristen Bell and her husband Dax Shepard are expecting a second child! The couple already has a daughter, Lincoln, who is almost 15 months old. “The whole family is beyond excited,” a rep tells UsMagazine.com. The celebrity couple has had a positive experience with parenthood so far, with Bell saying, “I love [motherhood]! She’s absolutely intoxicating.” She also said of her husband Shepard, “He just talks to her all the time and sings to her all day. It’s wonderful.”
How is raising a second child different than the first?
Cupid’s Advice:
The first time a couple has a child, it is a completely new and unique experience. Until you experience it, there’s no way to really understand. But now that you have experienced it, the second child is completely different. You know much more, and yet things aren’t quite the same. Here are some differences that come with raising a second child.
1. You have to explain the idea of a sibling to your child. Maybe your first child is too young to fully understand, but to some extent you may have to talk to them about the changes that are happening. The process is different depending on age, but they should still know what it means to be getting a sibling. This includes sharing their toys, the house, and even your attention.
Related: Kourtney Kardashian is Expecting a Third Child
2. You will be parenting two children at once. When you were raising your first child, you were able to focus all your parenting time and energy on them. They got all of the care and attention. Now with your second child, you’ll be parenting two children, and you have to learn to split that time and care between the two equally, or you could have some problems.
Related: Jenna Fischer Gives Birth to Second Child Harper Marie
3. You know what you’re doing… mostly. No body knows the perfect way to parent, but after one child, you have a lot more knowledge than you did last time you were raising a baby. Use what you’ve learned during this time and it will probably be much less stressful.
What differences did you notice when you were raising your second child? Let us know in the comments!