When Ethan was about a year old, he was tough to get to bed. The strategies that worked for Ollie didn't quite work for him.
I would either put him in the carrier and do laps until he was asleep and carefully transfer him. Or I would put him in his little baby cushion, make a barrier of blankets and pillows so he couldn't see the television screen, and watch TV on mute with subtitles while cuddling. Then I would carefully transfer him to his bed.
Ethan, as a three-year-old, is now much more independent, but he is still hard to put to sleep. He wants me to stay with him in his bed, give him extra hugs. He periodically visits me in the middle of the night and wants more hugs.
Now that I have three children, I can see clearly how some things don't change about children as they grow older and that you can see a child's personality when they are babies.
Ollie was a baby that liked structures. He had a very regular nap schedule. Part of this had to do with the fact that because he was an only child, we could structure our lives around regular nap times. Ollie always was at his best when things were predictable. When we'd go to an unfamiliar place, a new playground, for example, Ollie would stay close to us. We would walk him around, and he would eventually get comfortable and explore on his own.
Ollie is similar now. He is more adventurous than when he was younger, but he is also cautious and more introverted in news spaces.
Ollie feels anxiety when plans change. We can help him when we tell him about the day's schedule and what to expect ahead of time. When he has this idea in his head, he flourishes. At the same time, we are trying to help him be more flexible and have a perspective on what these changes mean and how best to process them.
Then there is little bear.
Lucas is about a year and change, not quite a year and a half old. Are there things I saw from when he was a much younger baby that I see now? I see some things emerging. Lucas was a calmer baby than Ethan. He was fairly easy to put to sleep as a baby, and this has continued.
When Lucas started to crawl and be more mobile, he was adventurous. We would be a the park, and he would move away from me without too many worries. Ollie, at that age, would turn around and want to check in with me to make sure I was there. Lucas, not so much. He likes being on his own, and we see this now that he's walking.
All of my boys loved to smile as babies, and they continue to initiate smiles with the people in their lives. Their curiosity is similar, and when they find something that fascinates them, they can get lost in their work. With Ollie, currently, it's intricate traps he's making with blocks, Ethan, its stickers, and Lucas, it's the right book.
I'm looking forward to seeing how aspects of my children's personalities evolve over time. I may be wrong. Some things that I feel will develop may completely change. And new facets of their personality that I don't currently see may come to the fore.
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