Campbell Brown
"It can be tough when you've got two under two."
by Amy Reiter
July 2, 2009
So do you have a whole contingency strategy?
I do. Especially with two, you develop a network of friends and family and help. I had a childcare emergency not too long ago, and my mom, God love her, came to the rescue. She spent a week with me. And there's nothing better than that. If you have family who can help you in those situations, it's the best thing in the world, because my son, there's no one he loves more than his grandmother.
I also have a really tight network of friends who have kids, some who work and some who stay at home. We really rely on each other. I think in New York City especially, because it's such a big city, you really do have to rely on your community of close friends to be a network that your family might be somewhere else.
I've found that to be true, too. But you don't get to put your kids to bed all week long? That's a toughie.
Yes and no. For those who have tried to put a toddler down . . . Sometimes I look at my husband and go, "Oh, here, you put him down for his nap." Yes, on the one hand you go, "Oh . . ." But don't idealize how wonderful it is to put your kids to bed. Sometimes they will fight you tooth and nail.
How has Eli reacted to having a little brother?
"You hope there will be a payoff, when they become friends."
He's almost too young to really understand. He had about two weeks of acting out, where he couldn't figure out why he didn't have as much attention from mommy as he used to. But he's settled into it. He doesn't quite know who or what Asher is. It's just suddenly there's this blob hanging around with us who wasn't there before. But he's really sweet with him. He kisses him and holds his hand and points at him and says, "Asher."
You know, it can be tough when you've got two in cribs, two in diapers, two under two. You hope there will be a payoff, when they become friends. Everyone I've met who has a sibling that close in age has said, "Oh, we were best friends."
Yeah, having kids so close together is probably harder for the parents than the kids.
Sleep deprivation. But once you get beyond the first year, maybe . . .
Why did you drop the "No Bias, No Bull" tagline from your show when you came back? Maternal softening?
Oh, no, no, no. It was more we felt we had sort of said everything we needed to say with regard to that. We did it for a year, because we did want to differentiate ourselves from everything else that's on during that time, and the message was delivered. The audience knows who we are, which is a non-partisan, news-focused hour at eight o'clock.
©2009 Amy Reiter and Babble
About the Author
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Amy Reiter has written for Glamour, Marie Claire, The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, Time Out New York Kids and Wine Spectator, among other publications, as well as the anthology "Maybe
Baby." A former editor at Salon, she lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children. |
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