Of course it changes the more kids you have. I think you worry less about some things and more about others. My third has a much later bedtime then my first. It just did not work putting her to bed at 7:00 with two others . You learn what works and does not so you can be more efficient.

Well I can tell you that I've gotten much more laid back as my kids have gotten older. When they were little I felt it important to set the primary boundaries, it's always easier to become more lenient with this kind of thing than it is to become more strict. I figured I'd start out more strict.

Though with some of my views my girls for certain would disagree with my leniency, lol. I still have the rule about finishing all their veggies and half their meat at dinner and I still have my rules about consuming at least one fruit or veggie at each meal, but because these rules have been around since they were eating solid food, they've become more of a lifestyle than anything else.

As far as things changing between the first and the next child, I don't really think much has changed in my parenting style. Yes, I've learned new things and made adjustments, but those have been adjustements all across the board, with both of my girls. If I found one particular thing, such as time-outs, didn't work with one child but did with the other, I found something comparable that worked on both. Or I explained the differences between the two girls to each of them and explained why their punishments or rewards were different. For example, my younger daughter treasures her figure skating. So if she does something outlandish, missing that is the punishment. I tried this on my older daughter but it doesn't have the same effect, so she gets her flute priveleges revoked instead.

I have a 13 month old son, so I haven't had much time to modify my parenting style. I can say that prior to having a child, I thought I would be a strict parent, but boy did that change when I saw how cute he was! I really had to reevaluate how I was going to teach him structure and boundaries. When he started walking, I was forced to develop a parenting style. I try to evaluate every situation as: is my child's physical or mental safety at risk by certain conduct? If so, then I am very stern and put a stop to the situation immediately. Otherwise, I try not to sweat the small stuff. My son is very interested in testing boundaries right now as he is becoming more independent, it can be very frustrating, but I just try to remember that he is learning and so long as he is safe, then he can continue having a good time (even when that good time is making a mess).

It's funny. I have a thirteen year old son that will tell you I am very strict and I do believe in starting out strict and easing up as we go. I am falling into the same parenting trap that my parents did while raising their five daughters. I had to wait until I was 13 to get my ears pierced and the day I did, all 5 of us did. I let my twins that are 9 do things a lot earlier than I let my 13 year old do. I think it is from seeing that Nico survived, so it's okay if Tommy and Belle do it. It was the same when I was growing up. I also have a 14 month old daughter and pretty much am doing the same I did for the other three. The worrying is different. I worry less with her reaching milestones because I know how fast it goes so I don't want to rush any of it.