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How to Help Your Firstborn Adapt to Baby
When I was pregnant with my second child, my biggest concern wasn't my horrible morning sickness or decorating the nursery. It was how my then 2 1/2-year-old daughter would feel about our new addition and if I could ward off sibling rivalry before my son even arrived. And I know I'm not alone.
Whether you're about to add a child to your family or already have two (or more) squabbling kids, how they get along is probably on your mind. "Though sibling rivalry is natural (and inevitable), being proactive in those early days and years can have a big impact on your children's relationship down the road," says Laurie Kramer, PhD, professor of applied family studies and director of the Family Resiliency Center at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
At the heart of sibling rivalry is the fact that brothers and sisters have to share their parents' love and attention as well as space and possessions. They're also figuring out their place in the family and concerned about fair treatment and control. The good news? "Eventually, your children learn to adapt to one another and share their parents with each other," says T. Berry Brazelton, MD, author of Understanding Sibling Rivalry: The Brazelton Way (Perseus Books). Here are 15 ways (some of them simple) to help make that happen.
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The reality is that the parent will have a new puppy to take care of, so I agree with Darko on that issue. However, one piece of advice I read in the comments from another article is that "Your newborn will never remember crying for 5 minutes. Your toddler will never forget." So, take care of your toddler's needs (not wants) and get them settled before concentrating on your baby. What are your thoughts on this?
7/27/2011 04:10:40 PM Report AbuseSome ways to help a small child adapt to becomming a new 'Big Brother' or 'Big Sister' are to shower him or her with things to make the experience fun and exciting. aSpecialGift.com has alot of Personalized gift items for 'Big Brother or Sister' like t-shirts, frames, caps and books; all for an affordable price. http://www.aspecialgift.com/big-brother-sister-books-2.asp http://www.aspecialgift.com/big-sister-shirts.asp
6/30/2010 11:14:43 AM Report Abusemaybe we shouldn't give children animals as psychological crutches...dogs don't stay puppies forever. I think an inanimate object or a fish or hamster would be more suitable...Once the baby is old enough to actually play with, where does that leave the poor dog? And if the puppy happens to be ill tempered, or your stepson happens to be bad caregiver, then that leaves you to take care of the baby AND the puppy. I think you should get a puppy for the sake of having a dog, not to occupy a child.
5/4/2010 12:50:10 PM Report Abusemy husband and I are thinking of getting my step son a dog. When my cousin was pregnant she got her daughter, who was an only child, a baby doll. That way while my cousin and her boy friend were taking care of the new baby their daughter could take care of "her" baby. It worked great! I think that if we get my step son a puppy he will feel better about us being busy all the time. He will have a new puppy to take care of.
4/13/2010 12:39:33 PM Report Abuse