5 Tips to Prepare Your Child for Your New Born
Finding out you’re going to have another baby is an exciting time. Maybe this time around you have a Gerber baby, cute and adorable. However, there may be things that you’re nervous about. These may be things like the added expense of another child, how you’ll manage with more than one and how to encourage a relationship between siblings. Your current children may pick up on some of these anxieties and may have concerns of their own. It’s important to pay attention to your other children during your pregnancy. Here’s what you can do to prepare them for the new arrival.
Empathy
Your child may behave in unusual ways during your pregnancy. It’s likely that he/she is used to having all of your attention, but as your new baby grows, there may be times when you can’t give that kind of attention anymore. Family and friends will be getting excited about the new baby and will spend more time talking about that instead of giving your current child attention. You may find that there are times when you child misbehaves in an effort to gain the attention that is lost. Although you need to correct bad behaviour, it’s also important to realise the reasons behind it and empathise.
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Rely on Your Partner
When your new baby arrives, you won’t have as much time to spend with other children. You’ll need to rely heavily on your partner to distract older children when you need time for the baby. Building a stronger relationship between your child and your partner while you’re pregnant will be an advantage when the baby arrives. If your child is already used to asking your partner for things and playing with someone else, there won’t be so many demands on your time.
Bribery and Coercion
No matter how much you try, there will always be times when you need a backup plan. Connecting the new baby with nice things for your child will make it easier for your child to realise having a baby around won’t be so bad. For instance, many parents buy a toy, like handmade teddy bears as a gift from the new baby to the child when the baby is born. It’s a great way of making your child feel loved and special at a time when they may feel left out.
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Encourage a Sense of Responsibility
A child is less likely to feel jealous and resentful of a new baby if he/she thinks there is a responsibility attached. Consider referring to the newborn as ‘our baby’ or encourage a sense of pride in the words, ‘my sister’ or ‘my brother’. Ask for help with feedings or ask the child to bring you things you need, like wipes or creams.
Make Changes in Advance
It’s best for a child to go through all big changes before the birth. For instance, if your child needs to be toilet trained, try and get it over and done with. It will make life easier for you and them when the new baby is around and it avoids your child having to deal with too much at the same time.
