SECOND BABIES’ MILESTONES IGNORED BY BUSY PARENTS

Mums Tips

Baby & Toddlers

Published on Friday, 27 September 2013 09:00

Last Updated on 19 September 2013

Monica Costa

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It seems quite obvious that second babies receive less attention by parents but here is a piece of research that actually confirms it. Mums in the UK admit to overlooking their second-born children when it comes to taking photographs, with almost two thirds of them admitting they forget to take images of their new addition on its own – instead plumping for ones including their elder siblings.

While first babies are showered with attention with every smile, nap and yawn documented, second babies are less likely to get a share of the limelight.

91 per cent of mums questioned said they obsessively recorded every moment of babyhood for their first-born.

But woe betide the second child of the family – a whopping 70 per cent of mums admitted that they have fewer than 10 photographs of their second born child on its own, with photos almost always including the older sibling.

61 per cent have none of the keepsakes for their second baby that they kept for their first child, such as hand and footprints, first locks of hair and first paintings. ‘Detail’ photographs of tiny feet and curled up fingers were also lacking when it came to the second child – with 75 per cent of mums admitting that they have fewer of these for their second baby than their first.

The results of a poll of 2,000 mums, by photography studios Venture showed that:

• 87 per cent have noticeably fewer photographs of their second child than their first

• Being too tired (83 per cent) and too busy (78 per cent) were the most commonly cited reasons for forgetting to take photographs of a second baby

• 84 per cent admitted that almost all photos of their second child include the sibling, too

• 58 per cent said it was only when the older child was at nursery or school that they thought to take photographs of their new baby on its own

• 92 per cent regretted missing out on creating lasting mementos of their second child’s first days and months.

Richard Mayfield, British Institute of Professional Photography’s photographer of the year (2012), says that parents can be so busy juggling a toddler and a newborn that taking photographs are often easily forgotten. “Most first babies are immortalised in photographs, handprint casts and film, with parents obsessively documenting every moment of their new arrivals’ lives,” he said.

“Second babies make the family complete and it’s only natural to include the older sibling in photographs. But our research shows that parents can live to regret giving their second born children less time in the limelight, and find that those special first few months have passed by without them capturing the same types of images.”

Images credit: Venture