Welcoming the new baby and prepping up your first one for the same can prove out to be very difficult. All the excitement, nervousness and the baby bump might also confuse your child a little bit. Attention given to new one can create a feeling of jealousy in the older sibling. To which he/she may end up hating the other one.
Unaware of the reaction, you need to train the little one to not get jealous of his/her sibling. It seems to be chaotic and messed up, though I have made it easy for you.
Your ultimate guidebook as to how shall you prep up your little nugget to love the one on the way:
Involve your Elder Child into the Preparations for New Baby
Right from preparing a nursery to selecting its colors, involve the older sibling into every process. Let them know that they are special and their opinion matters. Moreover, this will help your child to naturally fall in the process of becoming an elder brother or elder sister. He/she might feel responsible and get adapted to the process of handling his/her new sibling.
Read Also: Sibling Rivalry: Reasons and Consequences
Cultivate Your Relationship Every Day With Your Elder One
Though, your new one has arrived or is on the way, never get involved in that completely which ultimately distances you from your elder one. Take out some time and cultivate your relationship with your first one. Like when your new one is sleeping, go and either play or relax with your first child. Always help him/her with their homework or other work and make them feel loved.
Listen to Everything Your Older Child has to Say
It might be that you got hooked up so much with your new child that you have stopped listening and empathising your older one. This may lead to depressing the bond you share with them. But its never too late! Listen whatever they have to say. All the stories and dramas they do, encourage them and be with them.
Never Compare Your Kids
The biggest mistake one can ever make. Comparison is the most hurting part that any parent practices. This stays with a child forever. It is often practised by others outside the home, but make sure you don’t and create a happy environment at home. Let your children bond naturally, stop disturbing them and creating jealousy in their heart for the new one.
Keep telling your First one on how important he/she is
Use words like ‘you can do it I know that’, ‘I trust you’, to make your older one feel that he/she is a very important part of the family. This infuses a feeling of being loved and recognised for everything they do!
[…] enough to deal with these issues calmly and logically. These fights usually erupts when a child feels lack of attention or even feels unwanted. Often the older child tends to feel such when a younger one comes and […]