Getting Older Children Ready For The Time When A New Baby Will Come

Even though many family photo albums are full of happy photos of the new baby and older siblings, this is not always how it begins. Family structure is often dramatically changed with the arrival of a new baby. There is a huge amount or planning time involved when getting ready for the appearance of a new baby. When it arrives, that new baby is going to be looking for and needing quite a bit of attention. If all this attentiveness is spent only on the baby, then the slightly older siblings might grow jealous and act out as a way to receive attention. To make this an easier transition, there are specific things that a parent can do during the introduction period to make the older siblings feel more comfortable and less frustrated and confused.

During the Time of Pregnancy

It is wise to take into consideration the maturity levels of your children before sharing the great news with them about your being pregnant. You need to also be comfortable with how stable the pregnancy is. Very young children are not as likely to comprehend if you tell them too early. When they are this age their sense of time is not very well developed yet. It is a good thing if the mom and dad can inform their kid what time during the year the new baby will probably be coming. As one example, if you have a newborn coming in December you should tell your kids that their new brother or sister will be coming near Christmas. Parents should always be honest anytime their children ask them questions. For those mothers and fathers who are uncomfortable with discussing where babies come from with their children, there are some books that are age suitable that they can read through with the children.

Getting Familiar With the New Baby

When parents present the baby to older siblings for the first time, they really should have someone else there to hold the new infant. Every sibling should be allowed to hold the baby. This is a great time for the parents to snap some great shots for family photo albums, while simultaneously making the older siblings feel more like they are included in the special event. If a brother or sister is too young to hold the new baby, an adult should sit with the sibling and help them to support the baby. This allows parents to introduce the baby with free hands. And both parents should set aside some special one-on-one time for every sibling. As little as ten or fifteen minutes will enhance the behavior of your child. During this special time, the parents should let the sibling select something to do. Let the sister or brother completely express how they are feeling about the new baby and the changes that are taking place.

Delivering the Newborn Baby to Your Home

Once arriving home, there will most likely be many guests to welcome the newborn. The parents should discreetly request that the guests give the same amount of attention to the other kids if they can. This will make them feel as if they are also special on that day. The older brothers and sisters ought to be permitted to assist with caring for the new baby. Parents may want to allow them to push a stroller, help with the baths or even try changing the baby's diaper. Older siblings should not be expected to be automatically independent as soon as the baby arrives home. These older siblings will still need a little babying to some extent so they can adjust more easily. The parents should help the older brothers and sisters realize the good things about being older, such as choosing what they want to eat, selecting what they wear, and getting to go without a diaper. With just a bit of effort, parents can make bringing a new baby home good and easy for older children in the home. Since this special occasion is a happy time, there are certain to be some fantastic memories to capture for your favorite family photo albums.

Once you've put these helpful hints into practice, you are sure to feel better about the way your older kids will react when the new little one arrives.


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Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames. Our beautiful stitched photo albums are great for preserving all of your favorite photos. Check out our leather picture frames albums now or give us a call at 800-780-0699.