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by Suditsha Sanyal
Introducing your child to your new baby? Worried about how your child will react when meeting your newborn? Here are five interesting tips
It is indeed an overwhelming, exciting and beautiful feeling to be a mom for the second time, isn’t it? Truly blissful to bring home your little bundle of joy, but at the same time for second-time moms it may be a conundrum of sorts – of how to introduce your new-born to another little one who is eagerly waiting for your arrival.
Seemingly, it can be quite perplexing for a parent to gauge the reaction of the older one at the sight of another child in his/her momma’s arm. It is very natural for a child to feel jealous. If not handled properly, insecurities like these may lead to sibling rivalry, competition and jealousy that, at times, are not very healthy.
The bond between siblings is simply one of the most unique and magnificent ones, filled with bonhomie, camaraderie, naughty-funny moments, being a support system one another, and having each other’s back life-long. Furthermore, this relationship also plays a pivotal role in determining the socio-psychological behavioral pattern of a child. Hence, a smooth initiation is of paramount importance to build, cultivate and nurture the foundation of this amazing bond.
Here are the top 5 interesting ways of introducing your new baby to the older sibling:
1. Let them know that the baby is coming:
It is best to keep it simple. Let your child know that you are going to become a mommy again. If the child is about a year old it hardly makes a difference to them. But, in case if the child is a toddler, you can make them touch your belly to feel the movement of the baby and utter the word “baby”. Believe me, they can understand more than what we think they can. For a kindergarten child you can let them accompany you for the ultrasound scans, you can also make them hear the sound of the baby’s heartbeat. Preparing your first born in advance about the arrival of a new one can definitely work wonders and help in breaking the ice early.
2. Affirm their position in the family:
Now that your baby is aware that a new one is on its way, affirm his/her position in the family by telling him that he/she is going to become a big brother or sister and how important their role will be in caring for and loving the younger one. This can help in bridging the gap between both of them and can help in killing the insecurity that sets in due to jealousy.
3. Make it a celebration:
Yes, it is definitely the time to rejoice. Try to decorate the room of the baby and while doing so allow your child to participate in that actively so that he/she feels happy and needed. Exchange gifts when you are introducing your child to your tiny little new one. This will create a positive approach and the child will get positive vibes from it.
4. Daddy’s involvement:
While one partner may be busy in nursing and caring the little one, it is time for the other partner to step in and fill up the vacuum of emotional support for your older child. A father equally plays an important role in the upbringing of the child. This is for all the daddies out there – spend some quality time with your kids – play with them, read them a story book, give them breakfast, take them for a walk, swim or bath, etc. Doing this can actually help in strengthening the bond and eventually the child may not feel the dearth of emotional support and belongingness.
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5. Take out time for your child:
Inevitably, a new baby seeks a lot of attention and caring thus making it quite taxing and tiring for moms. Initially you may struggle juggling with time for both the kids and it may be very hard for you to manage. Nevertheless, it is very important to take out at least 15 minutes of your time especially for your first child so that he/she doesn’t feel neglected and left. Spend some time, read a story book and talk about his/her day at school.
Children are very vulnerable, and lack of love and care can negatively affect them and can lead to various socio-psychological behavioral abnormalities. All they need is love and care. Handle this carefully, and you’ll see a beautiful bond build between your older and younger child.
