How different are your children's personalities?

[alexsmommy]

DS2 is shaping up to be a very different (more, ahem, lively) character than his brother. I could leave DS1 unattended at 2.5 years for a few minutes and he would play with whatever I put out or he would find something appropriate to entertain himself. He was inquisitive, sweet, kind and fairly easy to mange. DS2 is also inquisitive, sweet, kind, but oh my. We call him simian child. He climbs on everything and I mean EVERYTHING. He's small for his age so people are always shocked at what we let him scale at the park because frankly he's more agile than many kids much older than him. He loves to play with our cell phones. DH moved his charge station to the top of his dresser to keep DS2 away from his work Blackberry and his personal cell phone. I just watched DS2 got to his brothers room, drag his brothers desk chair out of the room down the hall and into our room. He pushed it up to the dresser, climbed up and used the beside table to push off of to pull himself up to get the phones (I should mention his upper body strength is CRAZY - and he can balance his weight while reaching for something with his feet suspended). We don't know whether to laugh or cry at his innovation and tenacity half the time. This is only one example and I'm sure others have similar stories, but it's just soooo different than DS1. DH's sisters tell me that DS2 gets this 100% from his father and that DH would scale and entire bookshelf to get to his bedtime bottle if their mother had put it up high as she was gathering thing to get ready to put the kids to bed. I'm very curious to see how DC3 comes out. Thankfully DS2 is a ridiculous love bug too which makes it much easier to take how much energy it is to just keep him safe, let alone entertained. I'm having to look into all sorts of childproofing solutions that never occured to us with DS1 - especially now that I've caught DS2 climbing up on the kitchen counter - I'm worried he will be fascinated by the stove any day now so childproofing that is tomorrows task.
Do your children have similar or different personalities?

[brittone2]

So far, very different.

[jk3]

1 + 2 are entirely, entirely different. DS 2 is much more active than DS 1 was at the same age + possibly more athletic than his older brother despite the age gap. DS 1 is intense + intellectual. He loves to build + create. DS 2 has an extremely sweet disposition. He is active but even-tempered and pleasant. The verdict is out on DS 3 but he seems to be a combination of his older brothers.

[ThreeofUs]

Extremely different. Diametrically different. Amazingly, scarily different.

I could list, but it would be a LOONNNNGGG list.

[Melaine]

I honestly am not sure yet. The twin dynamic, especially the identical twin dynamic, is really fascinating. They are so in-tune with one another and so connected that they tend to behave very similarly. Sometimes it's hard to tell if they are copying one another or actually just both acting in tandem. They don't have the same personality, that's for sure, but how different they truly are remains to be seen.

[bubbaray]

Polar opposites. DD#1 is (like me) an introvert). DD#2 is looking like an extrovert (like DH). VERY interesting to watch the dynamic.

[g-mama]

So unbelievably different. Could not be more different.

My first son is intense, self-confident, loud, loves to be the center of attention, funny, intelligent, athletic, has a magnetic personality.

My second son is introverted, shy, artistic, sweet, does not like attention, has difficulty reaching out to make friends.

My third son is somewhere right in between. He is very easygoing, happy-go-lucky, sweet, not shy, but not boisterous either.

[HIU8]

Like night and day.

DD is my extrovert. DS is extremely introverted.

[gobadgers]

DS is only 6 months old so I can only see so much of the picture yet... but they are very different.

DD is very quiet, observant and cautious, and she always has been. When we would make silly faces at her as a baby, she would just look at us with a vaguely amused look on her face.

DS, on the other hand, gets revved up easily. If I make a face at him, he busts out with a huge belly laugh. If I wave my arms up and down in front of him, he pumps all four limbs as if his life depended on it - and he's so strong that I have a hard time holding on to him.

Based on what you say, I'm getting worried about what DS will be as a toddler! I think they will be very different...

[maestramommy]

Each one seems to be completely different from the other. The only way they are alike is that they are each very strong-willed, Lord have mercy. :p

[hellokitty]

DS1 and DS2 are completely opposite, and butt heads constantly. I'm waiting to see what DS3 is going to be like.

[pb&j]

SO different! And we could tell by the time DD was just a couple of months old. But they do share some common traits. They both have fabulous senses of humor, thank goodness!

DS is an introvert, he needs downtime by himself. He's very analytical and mechanical. He's been in day care since he was a baby, and has always cried at dropoff. Even now, at almost 4, he still gets misty-eyed at dropoff.

DD is the extrovert. Daycare dropoff is a totally different experience - she dives right in, and if she notices me leaving, she waves bye bye as if to say "don't let the door hit you on the way out." She needs an audience!

[elliput]

Very different, but then DD has Autism so that really throws a wrench picture to begin with. Both, however, are very social in their own way and both are very physically active and risk takers.

[nov04]

Completely opposite and yet fit wonderfully together. Couldn't ask for a better match.

[JBaxter]

My first 2

Day & night
Righty - lefty
brunette - blond
solid built - slim built
athletic -- music
easy going - mr sarcastic
out going -- stand backish
wear what everyone else does -- wears nothing any one else does

[caheinz]

Generally speaking, we're seeing the same as you, Alaina, between big brother and the twins. Big brother is reasonably careful and cautious. He'll check something out before jumping in. The twins? Forget it. They get into _everything_. They're climbing on on anything they can already... at 13.5mos. They get into everything. Things big brother hadn't bothered in his entire 5.5 years, they get into and pull apart...

And even between the (identical) twins there are subtle differences. In public places, one twin isn't phased at all by other people or animals, while the other tends to want to be held or snuggled if someone he doesn't know comes up.

It's really fascinating to watch as the younger personalities develop...

[american_mama]

Alaina, the psychologist in you must know that people with the dramatic stories (i.e. children are more different) are more likely to reply to this thread. There's less to tell if your children are similar, like mine.

My children are fairly similar. The girls tend to like similar toys and leisure activities, both are fairly confident and talkative, and both are very adaptable. DD1 has better social skills and can make friends and solve or avoid social problems better. She is also more of a diva than her sister. DD2 is more aggressive, competitive, and athletic, and those combine to make her social skills weaker, but we have high hopes for her in sports. DD2 is more easy-going and generally less defiant than her sister.

DS so far seems to be similar too. He likes to play with what his sisters like, his interactions and abilities right now seem comparable to his sisters at that age. Since birth, DS has been very agreeable and has been the most easy-going of the bunch. He's more a climber than his sisters and a bit more cautious than they were, but they've all had a nice balance between cautious and adventurous. All of these things make life a lot easier for me: I don't have to completely learn a new parenting skill set, among other things. I just told someone last week that I throw my kids into new situations and expect them to swim (and they do), but that I am very lucky that my children's personalities make that approach possible.

[alexsmommy]

Alaina, the psychologist in you must know that people with the dramatic stories (i.e. children are more different) are more likely to reply to this thread. There's less to tell if your children are similar, like mine.



Well, that's true of all threads LOL. Like people who have found some sucess dealing with a challenging time are more likely to answer the thread about surviving - so yes, I do assume that in all threads of this nature. It's a good point. Though I do like hearing from the "opposite" perspective. It reassures me that this doesn't have to be a trend towards wildness with DC3 - maybe we'll get one in between or who matches DS2. I'm old - my wild child needed to be my first! Then again, DS1 is an amazing helper in part because of his personality.

[hillview]

My boys are pretty similar in many respects. They are both pretty active, have good senses of humor and love books/cars/trucks/trains. DS #2 is def more of a climber/get into things -- we live in a lock down that we never had to do for DS #1. DS #2 is more independent that DS #1 was at this age. DS #2 likes music/can sing more than DS #1 did at this age.
/hillary

[aa2mama]

Fairly different. Both are strong-willed and stubborn, though.

DS is active, independent, and very matter of fact in his emotions. He enjoys tinkering with things and is very mechanically inclined.

DD isn't nearly as active, she's shy, and has VERY.BIG.EMOTIONS. She's my little tempermental artist.

And, FWIW, they completely get on each other's nerves but totally adore each other.

[egoldber]

I've been thinking about this. My first instinct is that they are very different. But they are also similar in a lot of ways.

Amy is much more active physically than Sarah ever was, and she is MUCH more strong willed. But they are also similar. Both are naturally very outgoing and gregarious. They both like similar toys (puzzles, games, dolls, books, etc.).

I think the main difference is their energy level. Amy can go go go all day long and Sarah is more like me, she needs lots of down time and quiet time in between activities.