Most of us can relate to the new mom stage when our first baby arrived. The firstborn royal baby slept in our bedroom, the baby monitor was in the bassinet, and the receiver was on the nightstand. In contrast, what a parenting difference when the second baby went directly from the hospital into their own bedroom.
Your Teen asked parents to share their biggest change in parenting from their oldest teen to their youngest.
Our Biggest Parenting Differences from Oldest to Youngest
- My older two would say I stopped parenting with my third!
- With my second, I was more relaxed and didn’t hover. (She is far more street-wise and able to fend for herself.)
- I am much more laid back.
- I gained knowledge. What seemed like a big deal with my oldest is really not such a big deal. As it turns out, mismatched clothes aren’t so important.
- My oldest had to do homework right after school. My younger ones are not on a strict schedule and get to have time to unwind.
- I set so many boundaries with my firstborn, but my second born totally regulates herself.
- Because I have more insight into teen issues and challenges, I don’t let my third child get away with anything.
- I had a rigid bedtime for my oldest. My youngest has no bedtime.
- My younger kids got cellphones two years earlier than my oldest.
- My youngest watches PG-13 movies and he is not close to being 13.
- I find more humor in parenting with each subsequent child, much to the frustration of my older children.
- The biggest change is discipline. Instead of ruling with an iron hand, I let my younger children make their own decisions, and then they are answerable for their actions.
- I gained acceptance that even good kids make terrible decisions, so almost nothing shocks me now.
