My little 3 year old girl is very excited to be a big sister.
She’s constantly telling us that she is going to be “the greatest big sister in the world” and talks to my belly often.
She’ll attempt to swaddle her baby dolls in blankets, rock them to sleep, feed them, push them around in a stroller and constantly save bits of her treats for her baby sibling.
Not sure how they will taste 5 months from now but, I get what she’s doing. Awww.
But when she gets upset about something, the little green monster will suddenly emerge and she’ll come out with a “I don’t want to be a great big sister!” or “I’m the baby, mommy!” and attempt to wrap a blanket around her and ask for a bottle. *sigh*
So this has got me and my husband thinking that our little excited sweetheart and soon-to-be big sister may not be the instant angelic and perfect older sibling we had thought she will become with absolutely no problems. Well, without a little prep work.
This is especially true for soon-to-be siblings that are still very young.
Here are some great tips gathered from sheknows.ca that I found extremely helpful!
The key to helping prepare an existing child for the addition of a new baby to the family is to be open and loving and to provide support, along with an appropriate amount of information. Helping a child adjust to the idea of having a new brother or sister can also be a lot of fun.
Breaking the news
Determining when to tell a child that a new baby is on the way can be difficult. For young children, if you break the news too early on, it will seem to take forever for the baby to be born and they may lose interest. However, it’s important to tell children soon enough that they have adequate time to adjust and join in the preparations. It’s also important to tell them before they learn the news inadvertently.
Provide support and information
It is very important to provide the existing child with plenty of love and support as they adjust to the idea of having a new brother or sister — they may have insecurities or fears about the upcoming change that they cannot express. Answering their questions with an age-appropriate amount of information will go a long way in helping them know what to expect. Ann Douglas, Canadian author of The Mother Of All Parenting Books, warns against sugar-coating what it’s going to be like living with a newborn, saying, “Make sure your older child has a realistic idea of what new babies are really like so she won’t be too disappointed when the new baby shows up.” One fantastic way to impart information and open up discussion about the new addition to the family is through book sharing. There are loads of wonderful books on the subject, available in libraries, used book shops or at Chapters or Amazon.
Include them
Involving children in the pregnancy and preparation for baby’s arrival will prevent them feeling excluded and will allow them to get caught up in the excitement that mommy and daddy are experiencing. Depending on their age, a child might be able to participate in doctor visits to keep apprised of baby’s development, help shop for clothes and assorted “baby stuff,” assist in decorating the nursery and attend the baby shower. Some parents are comfortable allowing an older child into the delivery room; if not, or if a child is too young, be sure they know the plan for when you go into labour.
Anticipate change
Any alterations to the routine of an existing child should be dealt with before the baby comes. For example, if an older child will be moving to another bedroom, or into a toddler bed, it’s best that this change occur far enough ahead of the newborn’s arrival that the child has adequate time to settle into the new situation before dealing with the addition of their new brother or sister.
After baby
Make plenty of time for your firstborn after baby’s arrival and be sure to provide plenty of love and assurance that your relationship with them hasn’t changed because they are sharing you. Allow baby’s big brother or big sister to help out and encourage him or her to continue to ask questions and express frustrations. Babies are a tough business!
The key to helping prepare an existing child for the addition of a new baby to the family is to be open and loving and to provide support, along with an appropriate amount of information. Helping a child adjust to the idea of having a new brother or sister can also be a lot of fun.
4 Responses to Preparing a Sibling for the New Addition
Went through this with our first son and it wasn’t as easy a transition as we had hoped.
These are great tips.
@sharon just wondering how old your son was …. When u had your 2 nd .my son is currently 11 months and we are already talking about another
What a fabulous post!!! So excited for you! How sweet that your 3 year old is super excited too!!!
@Frida: My son was 13 months when I got pregnant. All the best to you while you plan!