Preparing your child for a new baby brother or sister

By the time you are expecting your second child, you feel like an old pro at all of this. However, what you have not experienced is how your child is going to react to your newborn once you bring them home.

It can be quite traumatizing to a child when a new child enters the family if they have not been prepared adequately. Studies have shown that younger children frequently have shown regressive behavior such as stopped dressing themselves or forgot their potty training due to the upset of a new child in the household.

This is a temporary thing and children can and will adjust. Parents do need to be aware of this and understand that their child does need to be prepared for their new baby brother or sister that will be coming to their home. They also need to understand that their role in the household will change but that they will still be important in their parent’s eyes.

Children will see that the new baby takes much of their parent’s time and can misconstrue that they are not loved or not important anymore. This can cause them to regress or act out. There are things that parents can do to try to keep this behavior to a minimum.

The first thing is to be aware that there will be some jealousy and maybe some aggression toward the baby. It would be a good idea to play up the role of big brother or big sister to make your child feel important. If your child is interested, you can give them simple chores or things to do to help you with the baby that they are capable of doing. If not then do not push them into doing things they are not ready for.

Purchase some gifts or toys for them to give to them when the new baby comes. Ask family members to please remember your oldest child when bringing baby gifts either to the hospital or to your home so your oldest child will not feel left out.

Plan some time to spend alone with the older child. Ask dad to do the same. Take the child for a walk or a special date time to show him or her that they are special in the parent’s eyes. Know that this situation is temporary and things will fall into place with some time, patience, love and attention to the situation.

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December 1, 2008 | Filed Under Baby development