[Sibling Comparison] Born from the same parents, but their operating systems are completely different.

In one more month, my second son will turn two years old.

In an article from a few days ago, I wrote about what my eldest son was like between the ages of 0 and 2, and my second son is about to reach that age.

So today, I would like to compare the growth records of these two up to the age of two.

To put it briefly, their operating systems were completely different.
It's like iPhone versus Android—no, it's as different as sushi and ramen.

If there are others who feel that their siblings are completely different in the same way, I hope you will read this as one case study.

■ Comparison 1: Audio Output Function (Speech/Vocalization)

・Eldest son (up to 2 years old): Super Silent Mode
Around 8 months old, he suddenly stopped making sounds.
Other than when crying or laughing at being tickled, he was silent.
He was like a craftsman who loved silence.

・Second son (up to 2 years old): Speaker Volume MAX
As he gets older, his voice keeps getting louder.
He is constantly talking or shouting about something.
The liveliness of our house has doubled.

■ Comparison 2: Communication Function (Communication)

・Eldest son: Wi-Fi Off (Airplane Mode)
He didn't follow me around at all. He was fine even if his parents left the room.
He didn't point at things either. Whether there were flowers blooming or a dog barking during a walk, he completely ignored them.
When he wanted something, he frequently used my hand like a tool to get it, a phenomenon known as hand-leading.

・Second son: Always on Bluetooth Connection Standby
Until very recently, he was in a constant rush to follow me, and would cry loudly if he couldn't see me.
And, he points at everything.
If there is something he is interested in during a walk, he points and says "Ah!" or "Whoa!" and keeps looking at me until I react by saying "Oh, it's a doggy."
The packet communication seeking empathy never stops.

■ Comparison 3: Objects of Interest/Attention

・Eldest son: Obsession with specific files
He had a strong attachment to routines.
When we went to the children's center, he would always play with the "same toys" in the "same order."
He disliked change and loved predictable outcomes.

・Second son: Random Access
He has zero attachments.
Yesterday he liked fire trucks, but today it's ambulances. The objects of his interest change from day to day.
Also, toward our pet cat, in whom the eldest son showed no interest at all, the second son performs a mysterious act of hospitality by "trying to hand the cat a Tomica toy car."

■ Comparison 4: Specialized Applications (Spatial Awareness)

・Eldest son: Paid software pre-installed
While his speech and communication were slow to develop, his processing speed for specific tasks was lightning fast.
A symbolic example of this is the shape-sorting puzzle.
My eldest son had mastered shape-sorting puzzles by the age of one and a half.
It was as if he had a dedicated driver installed for shape recognition.

・Second son: Not supported
As for my second son, he still cannot do it.
He gets angry trying to force a square block into a round hole.
It is an endearing point of comparison.

■ Comparison 5: Input Interface (Senses/Exploration)

・Eldest son: No touch panel response
Babies go through a phase where they put things in their mouths to check their shape, but my eldest son never did that at all.
He also extremely disliked foreign objects touching his body, such as hats.

・Second son: Standard driver installed
My second son did put things in his mouth to some extent, but it felt significantly less compared to other children I see at the children's center.
Still, compared to the void that was my eldest son, it is a big difference.
He doesn't seem to like hats much either, but if I put one on him while he is distracted by his toy cars, he forgets about it and wears it all the way home.

Being able to trick him like that was also a feature my eldest son didn't have.

■ Summary: Both are beloved, different models

Looking at them side-by-side like this, while I felt like my eldest son wasn't connected to the world or to us as parents, I feel like my second son always has his line connected.

When I was raising my eldest son, I thought this was normal, but only after raising my second son did I feel like I finally got the answer to whether this is a battle with a monster.

My quiet, go-at-his-own-pace eldest son and my lively, clingy second son.
Their specs and operating systems are completely different, but both are beloved users in our home.
I intend to keep watching over the growth of these uneven brothers while updating their respective user manuals every day.