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Hilary Duff’s Take On “2nd Babies” Is Too Real

by Gillian Walters

Hilary Duff's Instagram followers are already well aware that the mom's household is very busy these days, a change of pace the actress experienced after the birth of her second child, Banks. And if you're in the same boat, there's a chance you'll appreciate Hilary Duff's thoughts on "2nd babies," a PSA she delivered via a hilarious Instagram video of Banks splashing around in a dog's water bowl. #MomLife, amiright?

It's no secret Duff is balancing a full plate, all way the from her thriving acting career (Younger, anyone?) to becoming the mom of two in October 2018. The special event occurred seven years after she and her ex-husband, Mike Comrie, welcomed their son, Luca, into the world.

Oh, and did I mention Duff recently got engaged to Banks' dad, musician Matthew Koma? Yep, this momma is one busy lady.

Although Duff has juggled many life changes before (single parenthood, divorce, etc.), she's in uncharted territory with baby number two. It can be hard to sum up in a few words, but second babies tend to be more adventurous and active than their older siblings, possibly due to a monkey see, monkey do effect. It's not uncommon for second babies to imitate their siblings, for example, or for them to exhibit more confidence because they are born with a built-in partner in crime. Or maybe second babies seem more rambunctious because you're officially outnumbered.

Either way, Duff is in the midst of parenting a curious, eager, and adventurous second child, a reality she captured in her Instagram Stories Wednesday. Duff shared an adorable clip of Banks splashing around in what appears to be a dog's water bowl, as if it's her own personal play pool. The actress captioned the hilarious sight: "2nd babies love germs." Momma, ain't that the truth.

Of course, Duff is joking here — she's not actually saying that little Banks is germier than Luca. All she seems to say is that second children know how to get dirty, which they can achieve by playing in their dog's water bowl, for instance.

All of this chatter about birth order does have some science behind it, as MIT economist Joseph Doyle discovered when he studied thousands of families to find out the differences in behavior between siblings. The evaluation produced some interesting results, with Doyle determining that second and third children can be more of a handful due to their "role models." He stated, according to NPR:

The firstborn has role models, who are adults. And the second, later-born children have role models who are slightly irrational 2-year-olds, you know, their older siblings. Both the parental investments are different, and the sibling influences probably contribute to these differences we see in labor market and what we find in delinquency. It’s just very difficult to separate those two things because they happen at the same time.

Essentially, you can blame your second child's wild antics on your first born. It's a hilarious cycle, if you ask me.

As for Duff, it seems like she's embracing her latest life change with a lot of grace and enthusiasm. And while her home might be busier and germier than usual, it's clear she's loving every second of it.