My wife is coming to end of her pregnancy, and we will soon be welcoming a brand new baby boy into our home. So with this in mind, I asked my son, "Are you excited that your little brother's almost here?" To which he promptly replied "No". Me thinking this is him just being 2, I felt compelled to ask him "Why not?". His answer: "No more fun", a response that floored me.
First, because it's a legitimate concern for him. He assessed the question, and communicated a real answer. Made me take notice about how big he's getting, and how he's no longer a baby.
My second thought was how the hell did he come to this conclusion? All of his little friends recently got new siblings, so it made me wonder if they sit around at day care discussing their plights? And in one of these toddler bitch sessions, did one of them warn about the appearance of new babies? Or is this in innate sense of self preservation? A limbic response to a perceived change in the environment akin to the way no wild animals ever die in severe storms? Is Darwin somehow telling him "Baby Bad"?
All that nonsense aside, I am faced with a real dilemma. My wife will be giving birth in a week, and she is already anxious. Do you convey the concerns of the 2 year old, or do you keep it to yourself until the new norm is realized?
I think I'm leaning towards the latter, so as not to burden my wife with another concern this late in the game. I hope I'm right on this.
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