The Arrival Of A New Sibling And Its Challenges

All kinds of questions arise. How do we tell our child that he or she will have a little brother or sister? Will he be jealous of the new baby? How can we help her accept this situation? Today we want to share a series of suggestions on how to prepare your children for the arrival of a new sibling, depending on their ages.

How to prepare your children for the arrival of a new sibling

In ages 1 to 2

You can not demand much understanding from your little one at this age. At this age, children will not understand what it means to have a new sibling.

Let your child hear you talk about the new baby. It may not understand why you are so playful, but your attitude will be contagious. This will help make your baby look forward to the new baby.

Keep in mind that you may not always be able to meet the needs of two or more children at the same time all the time. If you feel overwhelmed, look for support and an extra pair of arms among friends and family.

When the new baby arrives, do not forget the older siblings. To reduce feelings of jealousy, you can give older siblings a small gift from their little brother or little sister.

Do not forget to hug them, listen to them and spend time with them to remind them of your infinite love.

In ages 2 to 4

At this age, children tend to be very close to their parents and have difficulty sharing with other family members.

Your little one can be very sensitive to the coming change and interpret the arrival of a new sibling as a threat. Wait a bit while talking to the child about the sibling being on their way.

Talk to your little one when you start buying new baby items such as furniture, clothes, etc. If your child starts asking about your growing belly, it is also a good time to share the news.

Look for good picture books that can help your child understand what is going on. It is important that you take the time to talk to your child about the new sibling before anyone else does.

It is important to always be honest with your child about the upcoming changes. Explain that the new sibling will be cute and nice, but that it will also cry and require a lot of attention.

Make sure your child knows that it will take a while before he or she can play with the new sibling.

The arrival of a new sibling is not a good opportunity for other changes

Be careful when planning other major changes in your 2- to 4-year-old’s life. If you plan to introduce the potty, try to do so well in advance of your sibling’s arrival. The same thing applies if you want your child to change from a crib to a real bed or move to a new bedroom.

If this is not possible, you should wait to make these changes until things have calmed down after your sibling arrives. Otherwise, your child may be overwhelmed by too many changes.

It is normal for children at this age to experience minor regressions in their development after the arrival of a new sibling. For example, your little one may start peeing in bed again even though he or she has been completely dry in the past.

Your child may also start asking to drink from a baby bottle again. These and other behaviors are normal and you should respond with love and patience. It is your child’s way of seeking love and attention during this transformative stage.

Spend time especially with your child whenever you can. When you have fun during this time together, you can read, play, listen to music or just talk. Involve your little one in preparing and planning for the child’s arrival and take him or her with you when you go shopping.

Older siblings need to know that they are still very important to you and that they will not lose you when the new baby arrives.

Children 5 years and older

Children at this age do not feel as threatened by the arrival of a new sibling as younger children. But they can still feel jealous of all the attention the newborn gets.

If so, explain what happens to a language your child can understand. Talk about what it means to have a new baby in the house and the changes this means. Talk about both the positive aspects and those that are not so positive.

If possible, you can let your child come to the hospital to visit you and meet the new sibling after the baby is born. This will help your older child feel part of the growing family.

Introduce the child to the new sibling and talk to him or her about the importance of being a big brother or big sister. Make him or her feel great and loved.

Do not forget the needs and activities of your older children. Remind them how much you love them.

Really make sure you take time just for them every day. Use that time to take the opportunity to remind them how special they are to you.