Babies
Sibling Rivalry How to Stop It Before It Starts
By
Oct 14, 2006, 20:32

When you are pregnant you will want to find a way to share the happiness you feel with your other children. You will also want to involve them in the preparations for the new baby. This can be harder than it sounds. Older children may have feelings of jealousy about the new baby, especially if you only have one other child. Sibling Rivalry is a normal feeling for your other children. They worry about whether or not the new baby will get all the attention that they are used to.

You can tell them about the new baby on the way and let them know that they will love their new brother or sister. They can help you teach the new baby many things in their role as older brother or sister. Will they really be able to understand this?

You can help them make a gift for the new baby. You can sit with them and help them create a journal to tell the new sibling about them. You can get a journal or a photo album at the dollar store. You can buy several of them so everyone can get a present when the new baby is born, and in theirs you can put a picture of their new brother or sister in it for them.

You can decorate the cover of each journal with stickers and stars, with a drawing or with wrapping paper. You can have each child draw a picture, paste in photos of themselves, and write about the things they like to do. Ask them questions about their opinions of the upcoming birth.

Who do you want the baby to look like?

Would you like the baby to be a boy or a girl?

Where should the new baby sleep?

Will you teach the baby something? What?

What toy would you like to give the new baby?

You can help them write a story about the things they do all day

You can have them draw some pictures for the baby.

You can take some photos of your child while he or she is making the journal, and take some older ones to, and paste them into the journal. Leave some blank spots to add some new pictures of them with the new baby after the birth.

You can make a tape recording of your child singing a song, or a video of he or she making the journal for the baby.

You can get a toy box, and let your child pick out a special toy from their own to give to the new baby, and put in some new ones too. This will help them develop the spirit of giving towards the new baby.

This can be a special time of sharing the birth of a new child with your older ones. Always make them feel included in the planning. You all can decide what color to paint the nursery, and also let them help pick out some decorations.

You can let them touch your stomach when the new baby is moving, or let them talk or sing to their new brother or sister.

You will not only help them to accept the new baby, they will begin to anticipate the birth, just like you do. You will also be creating wonderful family heirlooms by creating the journals. They will certainly become treasured bits of family history for years to come. Hopefully this will help the start of a sibling bond of love.

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