My son is the parent I want to be ...

[Kazbah]

Watching DS1 (almost 4) playing with DS2 (almost 4 months) it has occurred to me several times that he is instinctively doing what is best for Will's development.

The way he's automatically using repetitive movements, singing happy songs and "dancing" with him through holding hands - he's getting so, so many full-on giggles and laughs and DH & I barely get any!

I am going to listen to my son, to see how best to parent his younger brother.

[human bean]

Sounds like he has learnt it all from his fantastic parents

It must be lovely to watch!

[hannanat]

That's lovely.

It's amazing what our little ones can teach us when we listen. Enjoy.

[willow5]

Aaaaw gorgeous! They can be so intuitive can't they kids Sometimes we get caught up in what ' has to be done' and forget to just go with it and play.

[Kazzo]

Sounds like he has learnt it all from his fantastic parents

It must be lovely to watch!

Yeah, he would have had to have learnt it from someone and I bet you do it but don't realise. DD1 gets more giggles and smiles from DD2 then I can and all she has to do is walk in the room.

[Catastrophic]

He would have learnt that from you hun, Your an awesome mother, and its so great that your DS is able to show that, He's jus the cutest best big brother around :-D

[Gigi]

Maybe so, but Pip doesn't have to do the ten million parent jobs, that you have to do.
So he can concentrate on playing, because he doesn't have all the housework/pay the bills/keep the household ticking over stuff to do AS WELL.
i bet you would play wonderfully with Quoll IF you had no other responsibilities to do.

Pip is only doing what he is doing, cos he has the time and energy to devote to it, and because you have raised him to be a wonderful human being.

[MrsFabuloso]

Must have been watching mummy

[sconeonamission]

Sometimes children teach US everything we need to know ! xx

[beckoes]

hes learnt how to be such a good parent from somewhere ....but so many times i think that parents feel they are here to teach thier children and show them the way, but our littlies have just as much to teach us and if we just stopped and listened we would learn so much more from them! i will try to do the same a little more too!

[Sopdet]

Kaz - I've seen you with William and he's learnt it from you!!!!!!

[onthefly]

Yeah, duffa, where do you think he got it from?
He's a great big brother from the sound of things. DD just adores DS too and only he can soothe her when she cries in the car.

[Kazbah]

What I'm trying to say isn't that I feel inadequate - but rather that my son isn't afraid to act on his instincts. As an adult, I, and my husband, feel silly doing the same thing in silly voices. DS1 plays "ring a ring a rosy" with DS2 and flops his head on the baby's belly. This has DS2 in gales of laughter - and it's something that would never occur to me.

Our not-as-little-as-we-think babies can teach us so much about interacting with our younger babies.

[onthefly]

Ah yes, that's so true!

[black_rose]

That's so true Kaz, I watch dd1 and she will have ds laughing in no time, she makes up songs and does silly voiced just to get him going.

I think it's part of the bond they have, and like you say no inhibitions either.

[~Hestia~]

Aw, isn't that cute