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Parentpedia
New Siblings
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There's no foolproof way to introduce your preschooler or toddler to their brand-new younger brother or sister, but you can smooth the transition. Your toddler may become angry and jealous if she arrives home to discover a new baby is in her "castle" with her mommy and daddy. The hospital is a neutral location -- make the introductions there, then you can all leave and take the new baby home together.
Some parents like to have a ritual for their children to welcome their new brother or sister into the world. A gift from your toddler to the new baby as well as gift from the baby to your toddler can help ease that first meeting. It also gives your toddler something to play with at the hospital when she loses interest in the new baby....
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Most children are really not all that worried about the new baby in the house, they are worried about losing mom and dad's attention! Some ideas for reinfocing your relationship with the elder child:
* in the hospital, have dad take the baby out of the room while you and the older child relax, snuggle, and read a couple of books.
* start a journal with your child to record their sepcial year, just like baby is getting a new baby book to be all about him.
* give the child a new responsibility. It is a big deal to be entrusted with gathering the mail, setting the table each night, emptying the dishwasher. And best of all, it helps them to feel that they have an important role in the family.
Have a big brother or big sister celebration when the baby is born. Take the focus away from the new baby and focus more on your older child who is now a big brother or sister....Have a cake saying "congrats on being a big brother", presents for the "big brother". Also, to help your older child understand when the new baby is coming, make a chain necklace using colored construction paper....2 weeks before you are due, have your child cut or tear one circle off the chain. As the chain gets smaller, they will understand the baby will be coming sooner.
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Here, take this back
When my daughter was born, my three-year-old came to the hospital. There are much more exciting things in a hospital room than some tiny baby, though, so for a while he was entertained by the medical equipment, the nurses, and my other... read more
I don't like you anymore, Mommy.
When my second daughter was due, we tried to prepare my older daughter, Cassidy, as best we could. We talked to her about the new baby, told her what her name would be, let her feel the baby kick and made sure we had a gift for her from... read more
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July 13, 2007
Older Brother Syndrome
We already had three kids when our youngest daughter came into the world. We had an 11-year-old girl, a 9-year-old boy, and a 7-year-old boy. We really expected the youngest boy--Kolby, who is our sensitive one--to be Kaycee's best... read more
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