Tips And Tricks to Prepare a Toddler for a New Baby
Everyone is familiar with the concept of sibling rivalry. You also probalby know just how ugly it can actually get if not addressed in time. Sibling rivalry can lead to lifelong trauma for all involved should things get REALLY out of hand! Ensuring that your child is ready to welcome a new sibling into the family is absolutely critical. If you can plan and be proactive, nobody will get physically or emotionally hurt with the addition of a new baby. Here are a three tips for how to prepare your toddler for a new baby sibling.
How To Prevent Sibling Rivalry – The Mom’s Job
If the bun is still in the oven, make sure to have a talk with your toddler about the new baby! If your child doesn’t understand why there is another bundle of joy on the way, you can read a children’s book together that deals with the subject. The List of Things That Will Not Change is a highly rated book you can check out! The important thing is you need to open up the conversation and plant the seed that a baby is coming!
With older children, you can have a nice, respectful and loving chat about the subject at hand. The openness can help them with the transition to a slightly bigger family! If the talk goes wrong, it is always good to clarify that they’ll still be as loved as they are now. After all, a new addition to the family shouldn’t change anyone’s way of perceiving their kids!
The Kids’ Job – Lending A Helping Hand
Even though kids need to enjoy their childhood, having them help out with the new sibling can lead to a better bond with the baby! Pitching in will also most likely help form a nice, long-lasting sibling camaraderie!
While changing diapers can be a rather nasty job, there are plenty of other options for older children! Reading the baby a bedtime story is a sure-fire way to allow the siblings to get accustomed with each other. Just keep in mind that forcing anyone to do something they really do not want to do can actually cause a lot more problems in the long run!
How to Prepare a Toddler for a New Baby Using Decision Making
The best course of action for your toddler is giving choice. Just so long as their choices won’t harm anyone or their possible future relationship with their sibling, of course. Letting toddlers make their own choices can always be both a fun AND a rewarding experience for everyone involved.
In conclusion, how to prepare a toddler for a new baby is a hard job – especially if the kids at home tend to be jealous. It can also be challenging if the todller was previously an only child and isn’t used to the split attention. That doesn’t mean that having the kids and the new sibling getting along is impossible. All your kids need is a gentle, thorough introduction to one another!
Get a gift for your toddler! Visit one of Columbus’s vitage toy stores to get a special gift for your child. Make your child feel special for becoming a BIG SIBLING!
